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Welcome to KeystoneSoldiers.com
Wednesday, February 01 2012 @ 10:39 PM MST

Welcome

  *****Join us on Facebook for almost daily updates!! *****

  *****We will be OPEN WED 1/25/12 from 10 AM to Noon. Schedule updates are now available on our KSOffice page on Facebook!! *****

Welcome to Keystone Soldiers!
Volunteers supporting those on the frontlines of FREEDOM!




  It is very easy to say we support our troops, it is another thing entirely to show you support them.

  We are a 100% volunteer non profit organization. Through our organization and website you can show your support for our U.S. troops by becoming a volunteer, holding a fundraiser, collecting items on our list for packages, writing letters and cards to our troops or sponsoring a care package (or several!). You may also make a donation to help with postage or you can sponsor a special care package to one of our troops. There are opportunities available for anyone interested in helping. Just pick up the phone and call us or send an email with Volunteer in the subject line.


The information for writing to the troops is listed in the Penpals N Packages section. Please follow the instructions there. We do NOT give out any personal information on our troops or their families for their safety and security. Each letter you write will go to a different member of our military serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Korea or any area we have troops serving our country. Most of the troops who receive your letters do take the time to write back however we cannot guarantee a response. The main focus is to send them encouragement and support from home.


  **Our contact email is keystonemilitary@yahoo.com! Please send ALL email communications to this address.

  If you are in the military or have someone serving our country you would like added to our care package list or penpal list (or both) please send an email to: Keystone Soldiers and we will make sure they receive some letters and packages. If there is something special they need please be sure to let us know in your email. We will do our very best to get it in their care package! If underwear or T-shirts are requested please include sizes. You are also welcome to send us photos of your soldier no matter where they are from or where they are serving. We will add it to our gallery and post it on our Wall of Fame in our office.


 

We have 2 different addresses! There is no street delivery by the post office for our building in Leesport. Please make sure you are using the correct address so that your packages do not get returned.

Monetary donations, inquiries, cards & letters for the troops should be mailed to:

Keystone Soldiers
P.O. Box 152
Fleetwood, PA 19522

Please use the following address for shipping all physical donations via common carrier, UPS, DHL and FedEx Ground:

Keystone Soldiers
P.O. Box 252
5 S. Centre Ave (Route 61)
Schoolside Plaza - Suite A1
Leesport, PA 19533

Phone: 610-698-2122

 

Our current Hours of Operation are **WED & SAT 10 AM to NOON**. Donation drop off can also be scheduled by calling the phone listed above. Please try to give us at least 48 hours notice so we can have volunteers available to assist. We do have a donation drop off container in front of our office door if you need to drop small amounts of items when we are not in the office. Please do NOT leave money, DVDs or CDs in this container. You are always welcome to visit us at this address during the posted hours of operation. Visitors are not only welcome they are encouraged! There is plenty of work for all who want to help!! Our location is very easy to find. It is on Route 61 just 10 miles south of the Route 61S exit on I78 and 10 miles north of Reading, PA.


 

There is a link on the right side of the website where you can make a donation through Paypal or you can download our pledge/donation form and mail it to us. Your contributions are what keep the packages and mail flowing. We appreciate every penny! No donation is too small or too large and it all goes to shipping the care packages to our troops.


***If you are registering for the website, PLEASE, please be sure you include your correct email address and user name.*** There is a link at the top of the page on email settings. It will help you make sure you get our reply. We are on moderated registration so each new member must be approved by an admin. If you do not receive your password within 24 hours please send us an email and we will check on the problem.

  ~Lordzmom


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Post Christmas Current Care Package List

Penpals & Package News

Current Wish List for Care Packages:

This list is current and was updated on January 5, 2012. Our packages go to all branches of the military and to locations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Korea and any other troops who request support from home. All items are sorted and packed according to the requests we get directly from the troops or their families. Our mailing address is posted at the top of the home page. Please use the street address ONLY for shipping boxes! Please use the Fleetwood post office box for letters, cards and donation checks. 

  • *Power Bars, cereal bars, trail mix, granola bars and healthy snacks
  • *Slim Jims, *Beef or Turkey Jerky
  • *Sunflower Seeds &  all types of nuts
  • *Individual snacks like crackers, cookies, cheese/cracker kits. No potato chips please, they crush easily.
  • Individual hot foods like oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc
  • Hot drinks in individual packets like hot chocolate, hot cider or instant coffee drinks. NO ground coffee until 4/2012 please.
  • Small sewing kits and manicure kits & first aid kits
  • Pocket size notebooks & index cards
  • Mens and Ladies underwear in sizes Small, Med, Large
  • Mens and Ladies calf high socks or boot socks in dark colors. Cotton or wool preferred.
  • Hand and foot warmers - the nights are cold in Afghanistan and we are completely out!
  • 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 stuffed toys like beanie babies.
  • *CDs and DVDs - New or used are fine. Current releases are appreciated
  • ****Money for shipping costs. Please!            

* = Items most needed or requested by the troops! 

****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. We ship Wednesday and Saturday and are currently sending at least 50 boxes every week. There are thousands of troops who are counting on us to send them some love and cheer from home!

  We are NOT accepting any books right now. Please consider sending underwear or DVD movies instead. NO cassette tapes or VHS tapes are being accepted. We are temporarily overstocked on razors and toothpaste right now. We are very short on shaving cream in tubes....NO aerosol cans please!

**Please note: 1) The U.S. Postal Service regulations do not allow anything in aerosol cans to be shipped.  2) Shipping currently takes about 14-21 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. Just click the link in the top navigation bar.

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

 

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My son is a soldier.....

Site & Events News

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

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Mail Must be Addressed to Specific Servicemembers

Penpals & Package News

****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****

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2009 - A recent increase in mail addressed to "Any Servicemember" has prompted the Military Postal Service Agency to remind the general public not to send mail or care packages addressed in such a manner.

"Mail to 'Any Servicemember/Any Wounded-Recovering Warrior,' deposited into a collection box and erroneously accepted at a United States Postal Service post office will not be delivered," MPSA officials said in a news release. "This restriction applies to all classes and types of mail."

The Defense Department suspended the "Any Servicemember" and "Operation Dear Abby" programs in 2001 following the terrorist attacks. The policy was adopted as a way to bolster force protection.

"Even though these programs may provide an excellent means of support to deployed personnel and wounded-recovering warriors, they also provide an avenue to introduce hate mail and hazardous substances or materials into the mail system," MPSA officials said in the release.

The Dear Abby program, founded by the newspaper advice columnist, delivered mail to U.S. servicemembers overseas during the holiday season for 25 years. "Any Servicemember" mail grew out of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Since shortly after the start of recent operations in the Middle East, many grassroots organizations have made sure servicemembers know they're remembered. Those interested in writing to servicemembers can visit the Defense Department's Community Relations Web site and click the "Citizen Support" link on the right side of the page to find groups that support troops with letters.

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You may make a donation for Care Packages or Postage via Paypal. Our donation account is keystone @ keystonesoldiers. com. Remember to remove the spaces in the account name.

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Download and mail our donation form with your check or money order.

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