Braithreachas, Inc. and the Marine Corps Family Foundation are seeking for donations of care package items and are raising funds to offset the cost of shipping the care packages to deployed military. The campaign, Operation Santa Care Package, is an annual holiday season effort,

“This year we are way behind collecting items for the care packages,” said Marjorie Hackett-Wallace, founder of the non-profit organization Braithreachas Inc. “We need snacks, personal care items and things like puzzle books and playing cards, items that distract the guys from where they are” said Hackett-Wallace.

“A lot of people think that the US doesn’t have any military deployed, they think that the guys will be home with their families. The US still has 10,000 military deployed to just Afghanistan that won’t be home with their families. We have 860 guys that we will send a care package to.” Said Hackett-Wallace. “It’s not too late to help out. We will be packing boxes until December 21. We need snacks like Mac & Cheese, cookies, granola bars and personal care items like shaving cream, toothbrushes and soap. We also need help packing boxes and getting those care packages to the post office.”

The holiday care package drive began in 2008 when Braithreachas Inc. founder, Marjorie Hackett-Wallace’s son, Sergeant Ryan Hackett USMC was deployed to Rawah, Iraq and has continued due to Sergeant Hackett’s insistence that these items are most needed by our military. “These snacks help remind these guys of home and why they are out there” said Sergeant Hackett “they can’t go down to the local store and pick up what they need and most forward operating bases don’t have a PX or a commissary.”

Last year the group shipped more than 8,000 pounds of snacks and personal care items to active duty military deployed to Afghanistan. With the cost to ship these packages ever increasing, the group is seeking monetary donations, as well as supplies. Each care package costs $15.90 to ship.

Donations may be sent or dropped off at 103 Elbridge Road, New Britain, CT 06052 up to December 21st. The campaign is also seeking volunteers to help pack the care packages and transport them to the post office. Boxes will be packed for shipment to Afghanistan right up to December 23. For more information, people may contact Marjorie & Craig at 860-224-7635 or 860-280-6686 or by email at mhackett@snet.net.