Neighbors collecting care packages for troops overseas

A GIVING MOOD-Kimberley Kester, left, and Marcy Fried display some of the donations collected by students at Chaparral Elementary School in Calabasas for Operation Care Package. The items will be packed and sent to U.S. troops abroad. Some U.S. soldiers overseas receive more care packages than they need from loved ones at home. Some receive nothing at all, not even letters.

Calabasas resident Marcy Fried, who is working on Operation Care Package, said a recent collection drive by residents has gathered enough donations to fill 142 boxes of treats for the U.S. troops abroad.

The drive at Chaparral Elementary School in Calabasas was April 24 to May 4. Contributions ranged from beef jerky to deodorant. Letters are also included in the care packages.

"My friend, Kimberley Kester of Calabasas-a mother of three children under the age of 8-has dedicated herself the last few months to Operation Care Package," Fried said. "She has successfully ignited the flames in many of our hearts to help in the cause of supporting our troops overseas with care packages and letters of support."

Operation Care Package got donations from Lowe's home improvement warehouse in West Hills, Shell gas station in Calabasas, Longs Drugs in Woodland Hills, Sav-On Drugs in Calabasas, Cardsharks in Calabasas, Whole Foods in Woodland Hills, Barnes and Noble in Calabasas, Vons in Calabasas, Target in West Hills, Ralphs supermarket in Woodland Hills, and Trader Joe's specialty grocery store in West Hills. Others have also pitched in.

The care packages will include energy bars, gum, shaving cream, toothbrushes, baby wipes, sunscreen, batteries, lip balm, hand sanitizer, socks, flypaper, magazines, DVDs and letters from local people.

"The letters from the kids are unbelievable," Fried said. They're beautiful. And the kids

ven drew little pictures."

Kester started Operation Care Package in February at her church, Woodland Hills Community.

"Around the holidays, I decided that I needed to do more than just drive around with a yellow ribbon on my car that says I support my troops," Kester said.

"So I got on the web and found this organization called AdoptaPlatoon that was started by a bunch of moms whose sons were in the military. Their sons were telling them that there were all these guys reporting to mail call every day and not getting anything. So these moms started this organization that provides mail support to American troops."

Kester's Operation Care Package is similar to AdoptaPlatoon. She collects items in drop boxes at various locations, boxes them up and sends them to military chaplains. The chaplains distribute the packages to the troops.

"While it started as something she would do at her church- Woodland Hills Community Church-it quickly expanded to her children's schools-Woodcrest Elementary School, St. Mel's preschool and St. Bernardine's preschool," Fried said.

"She has obtained the help of the local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and has had drop boxes placed at Gelson's market for people to provide letters to include in the care packages."

Fried first sent care packages to troops after receiving disturbing news from a friend not long ago.

"A friend of mine in Chicago e-mailed me that a friend of her son's had died, and that instead of sending flowers, what this son had communicated was that many of the men in his troop never received any mail or care packages, and so in lieu of flowers, this family requested that people send care packages to his troop," Fried said.

"I didn't even know this guy," she said, "but I just felt so terrible that there could be troops out there that didn't get anything."

Fried put together a care package and sent it to the dead soldier's platoon.

When she heard about Operation Care Package, Fried wanted to help Kester with the effort. Fried has a child at Chaparral and arranged the recent Operation Care Package drive at that campus.

"I think this is a wonderful, patriotic thing that we're doing," Fried said.

But "this is not a political statement of any kind," Kester said. "What we're doing is really powerful. I've gotten letters from the troops, and you can just hear how meaningful it is to get something. Not just to get the PowerBars or whatever. I mean, sure, that's great. But to know that you're being thought about and cared about is really powerful."

Kester added, "People are so passionate about their viewpoint on (America's involvement in the

Middle East), but this goes past that. This isn't about that. This is about a basic statement of caring about our fellow Americans who are facing great peril."

Operation Care Package will continue at least through June, according to Kester, and organizers hope to involve more schools.

"Our next school to do a drive will hopefully be Serrania (Avenue Elementary School in Woodland Hills), which is another big public school, and we're just going to keep going from there," Fried said.