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Support Local Soldiers

The Emporia community currently has several local soldiers stationed overseas. Emporia Main Street would like to send them a Home Town Thank You for serving our county. We will be collecting items and monetary donations at the Emporia Main Street office through April 5th.
Items and donations can be dropped off at 727 Commercial Street or you can make a financial contribution on line via the form below!
You can also send a Venmo to @emporiamainstreet (please put SCP in the memo.
We have gotten feedback that soldiers LOVE local items to share with their fellow soldiers! Donations collected will go to
MAJ Laura Pape & Unit, SGT Mason Harmon & Unit, and SFC Shawn Eller & Unit (this is the unit that is based in Emporia at the National Guard Armory).

Here is how YOU can help.

-Bring physical items to the Main Street Office (727 Commercial Street) by Feb 9th. We are open M-F 8am to 5pm.

-Make a financial contribution for shipping. We really need donations for this. Any funds collected will go towards shipping and purchasing products from local businesses to go in the care packages. There are about 40 soldiers in his unit.

You can bring checks/cash to the office,  donate with the form below, or send a Venmo to @emporiamainstreet (please put SCP in the memo).

ALL DONATIONS NEEDED BY April 5th, 2024

Soldier Care Package Online Donations

  • $0.00
  • Do you have someone from Emporia or with Emporia ties that you would like to send a care package to? Please indicate in the space below the recipient's name and APO address. If you do not wish to send a package to someone specific, your donation will go towards supporting the main project.

-Pork and pork by-products are not allowed to be shipped to most Middle East combat locations. Please send non-perishable foods only.

-Snacks are always a great options. Please make sure they are individually packaged. We can not accept homemade items.

-We cannot ship liquids. However, they do need flavors to add to the drinking water provided to them. Please send pre-sweetened or sugar-free flavoring mixes in small or single-serving packages.

-Coffee, coffee mixes, tea
-Hot cocoa mix
-Lemonade mix, Kool-Aid mix, Tang, Iced Tea mix
-Gatorade mix (powdered only)
-Crystal Light (or other brand) "On The Go" flavor packets
-Sweetener, sugar and creamer packets for coffee

Recreational Items-Frisbees, Nerf Footballs, Hacky Sack, Tennis Balls, Deck of cards, Hand-held games

Clothing -Color of underclothing and socks is not as important as 100% cotton. Send fingerless gloves and stocking caps during winter months only. Cotton socks,
Underwear and T-shirts, Military-green cotton boot socks, Sunglasses, goggle-style sunglasses, goggles

Foot Care Items- is critical and the demand for quality products is very high. Be sure that all items are in the original, sealed packages.

Cotton socks, black, green, or white
Boot liners/insoles
Odor eaters for boots
Lotrimin AF or Tinactin for athletes foot (tubes of ointment or cream, or the bottle of drops; please do not send the aerosol spray type)
Medicated Foot Powder, Medicated Foot Swabs
Moleskin (for pads on sore feet, you'll find it with Dr. Scholls type things at Wal-Mart or drug stores)
Personal Care Items

Lip balm is in high demand in desert areas. The lipstick-style tubes that you apply directly to your lips are preferred over the "tub" style. Eye drops are to relieve dry eyes; please avoid sending eye drops designed to remove redness as those will increase dryness and irritation caused by sand and storms in a desert climate.

Sunblock, Aloe Vera
Throat Lozenges
Gum, Lifesavers, Mints
Eye Drops (to relieve dry eye, not redness)
Blistex, Chapstick, Carmex (in stick-tubes rather than tubs)
Aspirin, Motrin, Tylenol, Pain Relievers
Saline spray/drops for sensitive nasal passages
Q-tips
Eyeglass wipes
Feminine hygiene products for women Soldiers
Jock itch spray
Laundry soap tablets
Body Wipes and Hand Sanitizers

Baby wipes for personal hygiene
Waterless soap
Liquid body wash
Liquid hand sanitizers
Disposable hand sanitizing wipes

Toiletry Items: Toothpaste (in hard-side tubes rather than traditional tubes)
Toothbrushes
Nail clippers
Shampoo
Deodorant
Liquid body wash soap, liquid anti-bacterial soap (liquid is easier to use than bar soap)
Waterless soap
Lotion
Disposable razors
ShaveMan™ Battery Powered Shaver (About $5 at Wal-Mart and other discount stores; see photo below and to the right) Mach3 Razors and replacement blades
Kleenex (travel-size packets)