Friday, November 30, 2007

Operation Cowbell

When Cowbell put out the call to help the troops in Iraq on her blog I Need More Cowbell*, her readers rallied to the cause.

I jumped in with both feet and diverted my Brunswick Cares (see below) Q4 budget to the effort. I put my brain in bargain-shopper mode, redeemed my free BJ's Wholesale Club membership coupon, and got a ton of stuff. Yes, a ton I say, after spending $60 just on shipping!

• Act II Microwave Popcorn (72 Bags)
• Kraft Microwave Easy Mac (36 Packets)
• Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles (16 Packets)
• Planters Snack Nut Pouches (24 Packets)
• Austin Crackers with Peanut Butter (45 Packets)
• Gillette Good News! Twin Razors (64 Razors)
• Sunsilk Shampoo (4 Bottles)
• Swiss Miss Instant Cocoa (120 Packets)
• Kellogg's Lego Gummi Snacks (50 Packets)
• Lextron AA Batteries (96 Batteries)
• Wrigley's Peppermint and Wintergreen Gum (80 Packs)
• Mott's Apple Cider Drink Mix (48 Packets)
• Striped Peppermint Hard Candies (10 Pounds!)
• Pringle's Potato Crisps (6 X-Large Cans)
• Tootsie Rolls (505 Midgies)
• Hershey Kisses Assortment (10 Bags)
• Neutral-Color Nail Polish (3 Bottles)
• Assorted Magazines
This, in addition to the efforts of other Operation Cowbell members, should give a boost to some of the troops!
I started the Brunswick Cares donation club at the end of 2005 in order to donate non-perishable food and personal care items to charitable organizations. After some research, I settled on Troy’s Unity House Food Pantry since they tend to HIV/AIDS affected, elderly, and poor constituencies.

Over the years I would see things for free, or at a significant discount when I was shopping and I'd think they might be good for someone even though I didn't particularly need or want the items. So I decided to take advantage of the freebies and donate them to reputable charities. What started as a personal effort turned into a eclectic collection of friends and neighbors as soon as folks found out about what I was doing and my success. Everyone gets excited when they can actually see the bags and boxes of goods that I accumulate.
*

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Damn, you make my box look kinda stingy. I should have thought costco instead of target... I'm glad so many of us responded to Cowbell's post, I hope it will make Christmas a little more bearable for the troops away from home!

more cowbell said...

This is just wonderful -- I was stunned when I got your email, proposing to channel your collection efforts to Betty and troops, and then even more taken aback when everyone else's responses started coming in.

You sent a motherlode! Betty is going to be thrilled. She is really one of those leaders who puts the troops ahead of herself, and she really wants to make Christmas nice for them over there. Thank you so very much for doing this. You rock.

Gavin said...

What can I say, I'm a giver!

Okay all you tramps that were wondering, I'm a bottom, so you can stop with the "You are so not a giver" comments. :)

Seriously, though, I love to give. When I was making way more money than I do now, one of the best benefits of that was that I could write checks to charities left and right. Now I give my time, which is more valuable, but it still seems to feel better to donate money, too.

michael sean morris said...

First they don't give the troops proper weapons or armour, now they're not even feeding them. Those Pentagon people are gross.

michael sean morris said...

PS: Glad to hear someone's still a bottom.