Care packages to military overseas a reminder from home

A few years ago, Colin O’Brien sent a care package during the holiday season to a friend in the military in Iraq — a soccer ball and a few other reminders from home.

He mentioned it to fellow members at Grapevine Masonic Lodge No. 288 and the Grapevine Independent Order of Odd Fellow No. 492, among others, and next year 12 packages went out to troops serving abroad.

The word spread and the tally grew to 74 boxes the following year.

Last year, volunteers from the Grapevine Masonic Lodge, Grapevine Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grapevine Elks Lodge No. 2483, Grapevine Senior Citizens Center and others mailed 180 cartons containing Christmas gifts to American service personnel stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.

On Dec. 9, O’Brien, with help from from Grapevine local organizations, mailed 260 cartons containing Christmas gifts from home to American service personnel stationed in Afghanistan and other U.S. military installations..

Volunteers were from Grapevine Masonic Lodge, Grapevine Elks Lodge; Grapevine Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grapevine Senior Citizens Center, Grapevine VFW Post 10454 and Kelly Langdon and TNT Tennis.

The boxes contained beef jerky and other snacks, socks, gloves, batteries, magazines, books, chocolates, razor blades, hand lotion, shampoo and conditioner, toothpicks and other goodies.

“We’ve just got to give back to people in the field and wish them a merry Christmas,” O’Brien said of his efforts to honor those who serve in the armed forces. It’s a little piece of home.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2014 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Care packages to military overseas a reminder from home."