Bob Williams
OurTroopsOnline

Bob
Williams in Wesley Chapel, Florida sends 215 packages weekly to the
military in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Kyrgyzstan – EVERY
WEEK OF THE YEAR – 215 packages stuffed with necessities and comfort
items for our men an women in uniform, fighting the War on Terror.

According to Stars and Stripes,
Mr. Williams served in the Navy in the 1960’s. His sons now handle the
family businesses, while he works for the troops, preparing the boxes
destined for approximately 200 combat-zone bases.

The short story is that donations are needed to cover the postage. Mr. Williams and OurTroopsOnline.com
spends approximately $8,000.00 a week in postage, from $20.00 to $45.00
per package, depending on the contents. He always has packages ready to
mail, but often lacks the necessary postage.

Much
of what Williams sends are donations: baseball bats and gloves, games
of all kinds, grips to put on the soles of boot, unending supplies of
popcorn, and items for children in hospitals and orphanages – which the
troops use to help gain the trust of the locals. All the usual foods
and toiletries are either donated or purchased

He receives
thousands of email requests from troops and their families and friends,
and much of those requests are paid for from his own pocket. Items like
Q-tips, batteries, shampoo, feminine and personal hygiene items, and
deodorant are constant requests. Williams will not say how much he
personally spends but the website says it is significant.

Camouflage
scarves are inscribed with messages to the troops by Florida school
children and church groups. “The scarves are good for keeping dust and
sand out of your nose and mouth,” says Williams.

There are no
expenses for this volunteer group. No one gets paid, there’s no rent
for a warehouse, no office space rent, and while I made two telephone
calls to OurTroopsOnline to verify this information (a human actually answered both times – no option for a choice of language preference, and no need to leave a message), no one gets paid to answer the telephone – everyone is a volunteer.

OurTroopsOnline accepts cash or checks for postage. Make your check payable as follows:

If
you live in the area and want to donate items for the boxes, call
813-991-9400 for a delivery address or contact Mr. Williams by email at
sift@aol.com. If you are a business and have items the troops need or
will enjoy, and can contribute once or on an ongoing basis, please
contact Mr. Williams.

This
is a year-round operation – it doesn’t end in December. Put these
people on your donation list throughout the year and know you are doing
your part to make life a little more comfortable for our military in
these combat zones.

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