Care Package Items for Soldiers

Each year Emporia Main Street works with members of the Freedom Fest committee to send care packages overseas to our service men and women. If we have a local unit deployed, we will send items to these soldiers. If this is not an option we reach out to individuals from Kansas.

We are honored that Diane Tebbetts selected our organization to continue her work after dedicating 17 years to sending gift packages to our service men and women.

If you would like to contribute to our cause, you can make a monetary gift through our online donation option or by dropping off funds to Emporia Main Street (727 Commercial Street). Funds raised will be used to purchase gift items from local businesses and for shipping costs.

We are also asking for items to include in our gift baskets. Please see below for a list of ideas. Items can also be dropped off to Emporia Main Street. Please have all items and donations made by December 1st. We like to send packages before Christmas. Please note that if you are sending food items, we do ask that they have a shelf life that extends into 2023.

We are also partnering with our local Shoe Sensation located at the Flint Hills Mall for a sock drive to include into packages. People are allowed to donate any pair of new socks. They will also offer 20% off any item that will be donated for the cause!

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. During the colder months, hot beverages are in great demand. Please do not send glass jars.

-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 (these come in a box of several sleeves of flavoring that can be added to a 16-20 oz. water bottle; see photo to the right)
-Sweetener, sugar and creamer packets for coffee

Recreational Items-Frisbees, Nerf Footballs, Hacky Sack, Tennis Balls, Deck of cards, Hand-held games
Gameboy Advance games, Movie DVDs (new or used; original only), Music CDs (new or used; original only)
Paperback books, novels (new or used), Magazines (new or used, but fairly current), Board 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

Communication Items- Disposable cameras, envelopes, paper, pens small pads of paper
Notebooks (a size they can keep in a pocket and keep dry) drawing pads, small, blank journals
Blank holiday cards (Christmas, Easter, Valentines, Birthday, Anniversary) that they can fill out and send back home to their family and friends
Personal Supply Items

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)