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One of the missions of MarineParents.com is community awareness to Support Our Troops. We have three projects that directly support the troops and their families:
- The Care Package Project™
- Operation PAL™
- Purple Heart Family Support™
We encourage you to get involved in your community by holding a fundraiser or care package drive to benefit one of our Outreach Projects. We will supply you with brochures, posters, and help along the way.
You can hold a care package drive in your office or church or involve the whole community. The posters give you space to write dates, times, locations and your contact information. If you choose to hold a fundraiser, we'll work with you to set a goal and determine the type of fundraiser that will work well in your community.
Things to Consider When Holding a Drive
Your drive or fundraiser can be simple and quick and involve only the folks in your school or office, or you can be more elaborate and plan events and involve your entire community. The following are things to consider when deciding whether or not to hold a care package drive or fundraiser. We'll help you decide what will work best for your goals and community.
The following are things to consider when deciding whether or not to hold a fundraiser or care package drive:
- Build a Team of Volunteers
Who will work with you to assure you have a successful drive or fundraiser? Build your team of volunteers before making final arrangements.
- Fundraiser or Care Package Drive
Do you want to hold a fundraiser or a care package drive? Perhaps you want to do both at the same time. Will your fundraiser be in support of The Care Pacakge Project™, Purple Heart Family Support™ or Operation PAL™? If you're holding a care package drive, what items would you like to collect to send to the troops through our Care Package Project™?
- Set a Target Date
To help with your planning, set a target date for your fundraiser or care package drive. Consider other community events that may be happening, seasonal issues and the local weather.
- Activities, Refreshments, Displays
Will you have planned activities? Will you offer refreshments? Do you need posters and display items? You can keep your fundraiser or drive simple, or be as elaborate as you have energy. Plan ahead to avoid potential problems.
- Set a Goal
Take time to talk with our office staff and your team of volunteers to set a reasonable goal. When setting a goal, take the following things into account:
- Collections: What items will you be collecting? Is this a fundraiser only, or do you want folks to donate items for the care packages as well? Providing a finite list of items you will be collecting can help assure success.
- Ages: Consider the ages of your potential donators and participants. We'll also consider your age and the ages of your team of volunteers when helping you set your goal.
- Coverage Area: What is your coverage area? Are you targeting only your school, work or church? Do you plan to involve the entire community?
- Publicity: Is the media willing to be involved to help you promote your drive or fundraiser? Can you make an announcement in church or work bulletins? Will the local television, radio stations or newspapers do a story about your work to Support the Troops?
- Shipping Costs: How will you pay shipping costs to get the donated items to MarineParents.com? Talk with businesses, church groups and other folks in your community to see if someone will donate the funds or service to ship the items once the drive is complete.
MarineParents.com Requirements
In addition to helping you plan your event, we'll have some additional requirements to help assure your success. These requirements include:
- Verification of identifying information
- For children under the age of 18, verification of adult supervision and approval
- Setting a firm date, time and place
- Ongoing communications
- Setting a deadline for completion
If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact the MarineParents.com, Inc. office, Monday - Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. central time at 573-449-2003. We look forward to talking with you!
