Holiday Soldier Care Packages
This year the Freedom Fest Committee and Emporia Main Street will be collecting items to send to our troops that are deployed over the winter months. Packages are typically sent to Kansas based military personnel, but we will take special request for packages to be sent out. We do ask that you provide the mailing information needed to send the package and that a donation is made to help with shipping. If you are interested in making a request, please complete the form to the left.
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. We will send items out periodically through February.
Because packages are going to those with an Emporia or Kansas tie, we recommend sending items that can be purchased in Emporia at locally owned businesses.
Care Package Items for Soldiers
Small packages arrive more quickly. When packing your items, ship toiletries separate from all food items. When the toiletries and food are packed together, the food tastes like soaps or deodorants, even when heavy zip-loc bags are used to separate the items.
- Hygiene Items
- Chapstick
- Socks
- Puzzles
- Games
- Art supplies
Food and Snack Items
Please send non-perishable foods only. Single-serving package sizes are preferred; large packages won't stay fresh and are harder to ship. If you can stuff it in your pocket and it's not going to spoil or melt during the summer season, it's a good thing to send!
- Gum, Lifesavers, Mints (blister pack gum is best because of the intense heat)
- Fruit: individual serving size cans of fruit, dried fruit
- Nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, trail mix
- Power bars, protein bars, nutritional bars
- Beef jerky, beef summer sausage (non-perishable; labeled USDA Beef)
- Single-serving bags of snacks, crackers, chips, snack mixes
- Pop Tarts, cereal bars, "milk & cereal" bars, granola bars
- Ramen Noodles, Cup-O-Noodles serving cups
- Tuna lunch kits (includes foil pouch of tuna, crackers, and condiments in each single-serving kit)
- Nacho-style chips and canned nacho cheese dip
- Sauce Packets
- Seasoning salts, flavoring salts
Beverage 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.
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.
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 December 6th, 2024.
Soldier Care Package Online Donations
Check out this awesome event for soldiers at Mulready's Pub
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