Holiday Cheer for the Troops, and Their Canines Too!

Delaware County Council partners with Herbert Best VFW Post to send holiday care packages to service members overseas

Beef jerky, breakfast bars, socks, powdered drink mix, magazines, holiday greetings and even K-9 toys and treats – anything that brightens the holiday season for our troops overseas – were collected by Delaware County Council and turned over to the Herbert W. Best VFW Post 928 to be shipped to troops through the VFW Post’s “We Care” program.

County Council, county and court employees, and the Delaware County Family Center Program collected cartons of items as well as holiday greetings that were turned over to Nick Constantine, program coordinator for Herbert W. Best VFW Post 928, Ridley Township, at the Nov. 20 County Council meeting. New this year was several boxes of treats for canines in the military, which not only serve in as explosive detection dogs, but are loyal companions to the troops.

“We ship packages to servicemen and women in Afghanistan the third Thursday of each month,” said Constantine. “You don’t read about our troops as much in the news anymore and I just wish the public would remember these guys.”

Each year, the departments of Veterans Affairs and Public Relations collect and mail hundreds of holiday cards and gifts to service members as part of the Armed Services Tribute Board initiative. In 2012, and continuing this year, County Council partnered with the VFW Post, which uses monetary donations collected during Poppy Month in May to cover the mailing costs. Volunteers collect and pack up the donations, fill out the U.S. Customs slips, and mail the packages overseas.

“We get names of troop members from people in the community,” Constantine said. “We also send cartons to chaplains and medics, and to the U.S. hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where the service personnel wounded in Afghanistan are treated before coming home.”

Council Vice Chairman Mario J. Civera Jr., a U.S. Air Force veteran, thanked the VFW members for their generous efforts.

“Anything we can do to help the soldiers who are making a sacrifice to protect our freedom, anything to help them be more comfortable, this Council is committed to doing,” Civera said.

Constantine said the Herbert Best Post started the “We Care” project several years ago in partnership with a young woman who wanted to support soldiers in Iraq. 

“It is extremely rewarding to work with people who give their time and effort to support our soldiers,” Constantine said. “The soldiers become our family and we receive wonderful thank you letters from them.”

Vice Chair Civera announced that county employees doubled the amount of collected items for the troops this season, including boxes of treats for members of the canine military. The Department of Defense estimates that there are 2,700 dogs serving in the military.

Constantine said people interested in donating items for the care packages or volunteering their time to package the donations can contact him at 610-544-1066.

Vice Chair Civera reminded people that any resident who has a friend or family member from Delaware County serving in the military, either overseas or on a base in the United States, is invited to submit their photo for placement on the Delaware County Armed Services Tribute Board. For information contact Kelsey Lomas in the Public Relations office at 610-891-4931.