Lexington Clinic Employee Leads Holiday Care-Package Drive Serving Ove

January 8, 2009

Spending the holidays at home with our families is something many of us take for granted. Thousands of American troops fighting overseas missed not only the company of loved ones this holiday season, but many basic supplies for daily living as well.

Debbie Perkins, L.P.N., practice manager for Lexington Clinic East Internal Medicine, knows how tough it is during the holidays to have a loved one overseas. Debbie’s son Steve is a Marine serving in Iraq. Steve’s company was deployed to a remote area in Iraq, where they set up camp. The soldiers have no kitchen, no bathroom, no laundry facilities, and by the second week, most of the troops were without supplies.

Debbie, like many Marine parents, sends her son care packages with basic supplies and goodies whenever possible. Many Marines never receive a care package, either because they have no family or their family is unable to send one.

After receiving a call from her son asking her to send extra supplies for the soldiers he knew were going without, Debbie decided to find a way to help. “I went to MarineParents.com, a resource web site for parents of Marines and looked for ways to help,” said Debbie, “The Care Package drive just blossomed from that and 25 boxes later I am still getting donations!”.

Using information and assistance from the web site, Debbie started a holiday care package drive. With the help of Lexington Clinic physicians, employees, and members of the community, Debbie was able to send 25 large boxes full of supplies to the offices of MarineParents.com to be packaged and shipped to American soldiers. Supplies collected included playing cards, anti-bacterial gel, pens, pads of paper, and single-serving snacks and non-perishable food items.

“MarineParents.com was able to make individual care packages for over 1,000 Marines during the holidays from the items the Lexington Clinic physicians and staff donated,” said Debbie, “It really is a huge help to the families to know our troops are remembered back home!”

The holiday season is past, but American troops need support all year long. Supplies will always need to be replenished, and Debbie encourages all members of the community to donate.

For more information or to make donations, call MarineParents.com, Inc. at 573-449-2003 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. American troops are in need of many different kinds of items; for a complete list of supply needs, click here.

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