• Power Bars, trail mix, and healthy snacks.
  
• Slim Jims, *Beef or Turkey Jerky and pepperoni sticks.
  
• Sunflower Seeds &  all types of nuts.
  
• Pretzels in small bags.
  
• **Individual snacks like crackers, cookies, cheese/cracker kits. No potato chips please, they crush easily.
  
• Drink mix for bottled water. Preferred is Gatorade, Propel, Crystal Light or any energy drink.
  
• 5 Hour Energy drinks or similar energy drinks.
• Tuna, chicken, salmon or beef pouches of meat that are shelf stable. Cans are ok if they have pop tops.
  
• Small boxes or cups of cereal & canned or powdered milk.
  
• Ramen Noodles and disposable cups or bowls.
  
• Individual hot foods like oatmeal, cream of wheat, easy mac, soups, stews and canned pasta meals. POP TOP cans please!
  
• Tylenol, aspirin, Dayquil, Nyquil, eye drops, nasal spray, vitamins and protein drink mixes. Small manicure kits & first aid kits.
  
• Pocket size notebooks & index cards.
  
• Mens and Ladies underwear in sizes Small, Med, Large. Mens XL too. Mens boxers & Tshirts. Ladies briefs or bikinis & Tshirts.
  
• Mens and Ladies calf high socks or boot socks in black or white. Cotton or wool preferred.
  

   Always Appreciated:

• **New or used game systems like PS3, Wii, or Xbox 360.
• **Video games and controllers for PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.
• Small hand-held video games like poker, solitaire, slingo, etc.
  
• **Decks of cards, dice or small pocket size games.
  
• Small pocket size notebooks, mechanical pencils & markers.
  
• 4GB, 8GB or 16GB thumb drives.
  
• **DVDs - New or used are fine. Current releases are appreciated.
  
• AT&T phone cards which can be purchased at AAFES and shipped to us for distribution.
  
• ****Money for shipping costs. Please!            

****Monetary donations are needed to help us ship the care packages. This is always our biggest need by far. Shipping costs have increased and it doesn't matter how much "stuff" we have if we don't have money to ship it. We really need to be able to get the packages out every week. There are hundreds of troops who are counting on us to send them some love and cheer from home! We have over 200 requests for assistance since Christmas! Every $15.00 ships 1 box to an individual military member. Every $45.00 ships a large unit box that will cover several of our troops in need.

  We are NOT accepting any books right now. NO aerosol cans please! NO silly string!

**Please note: 1) The U.S. Postal Service regulations do not allow anything in aerosol cans to be shipped.  2) Shipping currently takes about 10-18 days to the combat zones. It takes us about a week to get everything sorted and boxed. Please keep this in mind when you are checking expiration dates on food items. We will not ship expired food items!

You can print this list to share with others or take shopping with you by clicking the link in the article that looks like a printer! You are welcome to print as many copies as you like so please pass them on to others who are interested in supporting our troops.We also have instructions for how to set up a donation collection at the top of our home page. Click here!

 If you have questions please call us or send us an email! We appreciate your support for our troops and for Keystone Soldiers!

A decade-long partnership between Soldiers' Angels and Keystone Soldiers is about to become even closer, with Keystone Soldiers set to become an official packing location for Soldiers' Angels.

Soldiers' Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader and Keystone Soldiers founder Kyle Lord both started supporting the troops in 2002.  As military mothers on opposite coasts (Kyle in Pennsylvania and Patti in California at the time), they spent hours on the phone when neither could sleep--they would brainstorm, share tips and encourage each other as they worked to inspire others to support the troops.

Sharing a common vision for troop support, Soldiers' Angels and Keystone would help out over the years with needs the other organization couldn't fill.    "We looked out for each other and helped each other along," Kyle says.  "Patti and I don't care who gets credit for it.  It's more about the troops and getting what they need than anything else."

Now Soldiers' Angels and Keystone will be working even more closely together.  As Soldiers' Angels starts to shift to a stronger emphasis on helping veterans, Keystone is finding that donations for deployed troops continue to flow in while struggling with postage to ship those items.  In a move that helps both organizations with their missions and ultimately helps the troops, Soldiers' Angels and Keystone will be working together to fill care package requests.  Located close to the APO (East Coast) depot, Keystone can ship to military APO addresses for about half the cost of those further away.  The organization recently moved out of their office building location and into donated warehouse space to smooth care package assembly and shipping processes.  They will also have access to a loading dock for deliveries of larger quantities of donated items.

My son is a soldier

I can reveal this with pride

(the fear is hidden just below the surface, I confide).

He's a real American hero

Who believes in democracy

(yet there is an inner whisper that wants him here with me).

I am honored to be his mother

I brag of him through the day

(but I can't help but wonder if there isn't a better way?).

My son is a strong, brave soldier

Who says he's prepared to die

(he's not aware of the late night hours that I just sit and cry).

I wear a ribbon and a flag

Upon my collar every day

(but alone at night, I bow my head, for my baby boy I pray.). 

 I have no idea who the author of this poem is but I found it on another military mom's blog page and wanted to share it. It is a pretty close expression of my feelings and I am sure many other military parents in the U.S.

 ~Lordzmom

****Keystone Note: This is why we are here and this is what we do every day. Please consider making a donation for postage and let us get the most needed and requested items to the troops they will help the most! Thanks! ~Lordzmom****