Welcome to KeystoneSoldiers.com
Thursday, July 16 2009 @ 07:15 AM MST

Welcome

***** Our offices will be OPEN on Wed July 15th from 10 AM to 1 PM. We will have plenty of work for anyone who is available to help! *****

Welcome to Keystone Soldiers!
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 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 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 other area we have troops away from home. 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. If you take items to the post office to mail them to us you MUST use the PO Box address.

Monetary donations, inquiries, cards & letters for the troops and shipments of donations via USPS (United States Postal Service or the Post Office) only should be mailed to:

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

Phone: 610-698-2122

Our current Hours of Operation are **Wed 10 AM to 1 PM and **Sat 10 AM to 1 PM. 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. 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 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 contact us by email or 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

Current Care Package List

Saturday, July 04 2009 @ 08:00 PM MST

Contributed by: Keystone

Current Wish List for Care Packages:

This list is current and updated on July 5th, 2009. 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 page. Please use the street address ONLY for shipping via UPS, FedEx, DHL or common carrier! For all mail and packages via USPS you must use the Fleetwood post office box.

*Cold drink mixes – Gatorade, Crystal Lite, Kool Aid or the individual flavor straws you add to bottled water
Ground Coffee (not instant) and hot tea. Coffee creamer and sugar packets too!
*Power Bars, cereal bars, trail mix, granola bars and healthy snacks
Ramen Noodle packs (the big cups are hard to pack and limit what we can fit in the packages)
*Slim Jims, *Beef or Turkey Jerky
Sunflower Seeds & Nuts
*Individual snacks like chips, crackers, cookies, cheese/cracker kits
*Peanut Butter & Jelly – small size plastic jars please
Small sewing kits and manicure kits
*Sunscreen and insect repellent, Chap Stick with sunscreen, Carmex, Blistex
*Body wash mens and ladies
Shampoo - mens and ladies
Toothbrushes only, NO toothpaste
Deodorant
*Foot Powder and foot cream for athlete's foot
Odor Eaters (for boots), Dr. Scholl's foot pads, blister pads
Hand Sanitizer - small size bottles to carry with them
Shave cream – non-aerosol only and good razors
Mens and Ladies underwear in sizes Small, Med, Large
Mens and Ladies calf high socks or boot socks in black or white.
New or used game systems like PS3, PS2, WII, Xbox or Xbox 360
Video games for the systems above or small hand-held games
*CDs and DVDs - New or used are fine. Current releases are appreciated
*AT&T Global Pre-Paid Calling Cards (available at www.aafes.com)
****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!

You can print this list to share with others or take shopping with you by clicking the link at the top of the article! 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.

Please do not send any more cans of vegetables or outdated food items. They cost a lot to throw away. If it is not good for you to eat, it will not be good for our troops either. We are NOT accepting any books right now. Please consider sending underwear or DVDs instead.

Keep reading....lots more info.....

Thanks for Your Military Service

Friday, July 03 2009 @ 10:54 AM MST

Contributed by: Keystone

Home Depot: 10% Military Discount- SAVE up to $200 in-store on single receipt purchases July 2 - July 8, 2009.

www.homedepot.com - Valid 07/02/2009 through 07/08/2009 and redeemable for a 10% discount on a single receipt in-store purchase at The Home Depot® U.S. stores only. Maximum discount $200. This offer cannot be combined with any other discount, offer, promotion or special incentive program and is not valid on: (a) labor or Self-Furnish and Install (“SF&I”) and Furnish and Install (“F&I”) program products, including without limitation roofing, windows, siding, HVAC products, custom closets or storage solutions; (b) the purchase of The Home Depot Gift Cards or Certificates; (c) prior purchases; (d) Consumer Electronics (including, but not limited to, televisions, DVD players, speakers, home theaters, cellular phones, etc.), Little Giant Ladder Systems®, Thermador® in select markets, Gaggenau®, Miele®, Dacor®, Viking®, Fisher&Paykel®, Alfresco Grills®, Weber-Stephen Grills®, Sharp Insight™, Delonghi®, Casablanca® and Hunter Prestige® products; or (e) purchase from any The Home Depot affiliate store. Present valid Military ID to cashier at time of purchase to receive your discount. Offer is not valid for payment on any The Home Depot credit account. No credit if offer refused. Cash value 1/20th of 1 cent. Void if sold, copied or transferred and where prohibited. See store for further details and a full listing of SF&I and F&I products and complete details. ©2007, Homer TLC Inc. all rights reserved.

Esther Myers

Sunday, April 12 2009 @ 08:59 AM MST

Contributed by: shorte

Thank you so very much to KEYSTONE SOLDIERS for allowing me to continue to volunteer for your organization. You have truly been a blessing and answer of prayer. Keep up the good work and blessed be.

Mail Must be Addressed to Specific Servicemembers

Monday, March 23 2009 @ 11:50 AM MST

Contributed by: Keystone

****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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