On This Veteran’s Day, Military Care Packages You Can Make Yourself

If you're wondering about a way that you can personally thank our veterans and active military people, this is a simple, but truly meaningful thing you can do.

The Helpline Center created Do-It-Yourself (D.I.Y.) Projects that can be done year-round by individuals or groups.

This month's featured DIY Project is Military Care Packages. Putting them together can be as simple or as complicated as you want. It is all up to you, keeping in mind that the objective is to bring a smile to a military person's face.

The Helpline Center has some great suggestions for what to put in your care package:

• Cards of encouragement or thank-you cards for their service
• Non-perishable food and snacks like cookies, crackers, candy, gum, beef jerky, etc.
• Playing cards, crossword puzzles, brain teaser books, magazines
• Travel-size hygiene items
• Handwarmers
• Water bottles or thermal cups or mugs
• Small patriotic decorative items, like ribbons, flags, or pins
• Anything else you can think of to add cheer to a vet or military person's day

Once you've collected all your stuff into a box or bag, decorate and label it, then contact your local post office for details on how to package & mail military kits, or contact the Helpline Center just by dialing 211, for help getting them to veterans and military service members.

For more information see the Helpline Center online, on Facebook,  or just call 211.