Donations low, demand high as Napa volunteers assemble care packages for troops abroad

Some 300 volunteers will assemble close to 500 care packages Saturday in Napa to help boost morale of U.S. troops abroad.

Operation With Love From Home, a Napa-based nonprofit, has been assembling care packages for service members since 2007, and in 2008 began to host two free community events throughout the year, one in December during the holiday season and one in June, ahead of the Fourth of July.

But this year, due to a low amount of donations and care package requests being so high, the organization was left with no other choice but to reschedule the summertime care package event to July.

“Since last August, we have not been able to sustain our care packages in our inventory,” said Liz Alessio, a Napa City Council member and organizer of the event. “We started seeing an uptick of requests like I’ve never seen in the 18 years we’ve been doing this.”

Operation With Love From Home began when Lisa Huntley, a single mother working at the Queen of the Valley hospital, got a letter from her son who was serving in Iraq.

“He sent her a letter and he said, ‘Mom, if I send you $20 would you go to the dollar store and get 20 items and send it back to us so we can have a Christmas here,’” Alessio said.

Alessio, who was part of the hospital’s community outreach program, worked in collaboration with Huntley and other staff members to establish Operation With Love From Home on a much larger scale.

The grassroots organization now has a team of 10 volunteers who help year-round to assemble care packages based on requests, and collect and take inventory of community donations.

‘Hometown USA hasn’t forgotten them’

Despite receiving less donations compared to previous years, as a result of inflation and difficulties in getting the word out, Saturday is still projected to bring about 500 care packages to those serving in the U.S. military, stationed mostly in the Middle East.

“The need is actually greater during this time of year than the holidays,” Alessio said.

The contents of each 9-pound care package are different, as requests for certain items vary, but typically include beef jerky, a pair of boot socks and ramen.

Other items include batteries, powdered drink mix and granola bars. A handwritten thank-you card is also included in each package for the recipient to read, along with a checklist of items.

“We now include in the box for service members to check off what they like and what they didn’t receive,” Alessio said. “So we stay on top of the contents of the box, that they’re meaningful, that they’re valuable and that they do the job.”

Open to volunteers of all ages, from toddlers to former veterans, the event will have a donation sorting area, a packing area and a thank-you card making station.

There will also be an opening ceremony, as the Boy Scouts will present the flag, along with a performance from vocalist Kellie Fuller, and guest speaker, Chris Morisoli, an Army Black Hawk pilot.

“We always want to keep it where anybody can support at any level,” Alessio said about the support from the community. “Whether it’s a pack of gum or they just want to come in and they want to help fill care packages.”

Donation bins are located at Crosswalk Community Church and First Christian Church on Front Street, and Bank of Marin on Redwood Road and Second Street. Items may also be dropped off between 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Napa Valley College Gym.

“Napa is very generous to give back directly to Napa and I’m very grateful for that, but this is bigger than that,” Alessio said. “This is bigger than that because we don’t ask people where they’re from, it doesn’t matter, they’re serving our country.”