How To Help
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Here are some of the many ways you can personally contribute to the success of this year's Stockings For Soldiers project: |
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Donate items that go into our stockings
Since we send out roughly 10,000 stockings a year, we need about the same amount of every item on our shopping list to go into the stockings. Please donate items for our stockings and consider organizing a collection campaign at your school, church, synagogue, scout troop, service club, or workplace to collect items we need. Even consider holding a contest between schools, clubs, or organizations to see who can collect the most items. Refer to the two links below for a complete list of items. This first one is in the form of a printable flyer: The second is our Amazon.com wish list. The items will be mailed directly to us: Receiving donated items for the stockings is a major priority and the best way to help our project. |
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Sew stockings
Many of our volunteers have been sewing and stockpiling stockings since January. It is important that all of the stockings be the same size and have a finished measurement of 15" by 9". Please refer to the following links respectively for all of our stocking requirements: For easy sewing tips on making our stockings, please refer to our sewing video tutorial. |
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Volunteering in Person at the Stocking Store
Come join us at the Stocking Store to help with all of the different jobs that need to be done during our operating hours. We especially need help in November when we stuff the stockings. Please refer to the link below to sign up to volunteer at the store: Important: Because our volunteers carry very heavy boxes full of goodies around the store, we must ask parents NOT to bring small children at all. We ask that children in 2nd through 8th grades join us only with parental supervision. One adult for every two children in grades 2nd thru 6th, and one adult for every four children in grades 7th and 8th. Students in high school or older can join us without supervision. Unfortunately, no adorable babies or toddlers can work with us, please. It is for their safety. We suggest that families with small children make some “Snowman Soup” at home for our troops (see separate item below). Prior to starting the stuffing process (please refer to our calendar), we would like to invite our younger volunteers (under 2nd grade) to come over to see the Stocking Store. When they drop off their contributions, we will be so glad to show them the Stocking Store and how their donations fit into what we all are doing. |
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Knit wool caps
These are valued by our soldiers as warm winter helmet liners in the frigid mountainous regions of Afghanistan. Please refer to our Knitting Instructions. |
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Collect "gently used" music CDs, DVD movies, and paperback books
Please no romance novels or VHS tapes. |
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Make packets of "Snowman Soup" for our troops
Please refer to our Snowman Soup recipe. This is a great project for young volunteers to do with their families. |
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Ask your dentist to contribute toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss
You can expedite this by volunteering to bring the donated items to the Stocking Store any time we are open. |
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Write greeting cards and letters of support to our troops
Arrange for your school, church, synagogue, scout troop, service club, or workplace to write greeting cards and letters of support to our troops. Please limit the cards written to no more than 100 per person. |
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Donate used US Flags
We are looking for "worn out" US Flags that are old and tattered and CANNOT be flown any longer. Please refer to our Donate US Flag for all of the important details. |
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Important Note: In-person donations of any kind for our project must be dropped off at our Stocking Store during the hours we are open. Please see our calendar page for store hours of operation as weil as our NEW limited Daytime hours for donation drop offs. Unless special arrangments are made, this is the only time someone will be available at the Store to receive the donation(s). Donations can also be sent to our mailing address shown below:
Stockings For Soldiers |
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