By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Voorhees Sun
Have an extra can of Spaghetti-O’s just lying around your cabinet that’s been accumulating dust for the past six months?
Or how about that bar of women’s deodorant that mysteriously appeared in your medicine cabinet several years ago?
Instead of looking at your unused toiletries and foodstuffs blankly every day, an American soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan would love to have them.
The Yellow Ribbon Club is asking all residents of Voorhees to donate foodstuffs or basic hygiene products that will be shipped overseas to soldiers serving the country in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Leslie Drummond — founder of the club and mother of a former soldier who served in Iraq — said the club needs items all the time.
The Camden County-founded organization has been shipping care packages to soldiers overseas for the past several years and offers specialized “welcome back” celebrations for service personnel returning to the area, Drummond said.
Drummond said when her son enlisted in the Army, she became a “panicked” mother. Instead of focusing on her fears when her son was shipped out to Iraq in 2004–05, she used the energy to found the club and help other mothers who were in her same position.
“He was over there for a year. I was a panicked mother; I had to do something positive with my time and the fear. There are probably about 30 other people involved with us right now. They’ve lived through the fear or are living through it now. This is a good outlet for us,” Drummond said.
The care packages sent overseas consist of everyday items that soldiers have in short supply.
Baby wipes, for instance, can serve in places where showers aren’t available for a quick cleaning after a long day of work.
While it costs a decent amount of money to ship the packages overseas, Drummond said she’s received some help in that area from a very famous musician.
A member of the club sent a letter to Eddie Vedder of the band Pearl Jam, and within days she received a Fed-Ex package with a rather “substantial” check from the famous rocker.
“We send care packages to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. We get the addresses when families reach out to us. We collect all sorts of items from the public, such as beef jerky and warm socks, which is an especially hot item this time of year,” she said. “We always need baby wipes, batteries, little handheld games to keep their minds occupied. We send girl boxes as well, filled with items from Bed Bath and Beyond and Body Works. We try to help everyone we can.”
A local drop spot opened in Voorhees several months ago, Drummond said, and it’s done fairly good business so far.
People tend to trickle in throughout the week and donate what they can, she said, and every bit helps the men and women overseas.
An area Drummond said the club would like to expand is welcoming ceremonies for soldiers returning to the township.
The first ceremony was held two weeks ago for a returning soldier to Voorhees, she said.
“We do a police motorcade from the airport to their front door. We also basically do a middle of the street ceremony for them, it’s great,” she said. “When these guys come home in one piece it’s a big deal for the families. I started these four years ago when my son was deployed and other families got wind of this and it’s mushroomed into what it is today.”
People interested in donating to the Voorhees chapter can visit the drop-off point at Summerville at Voorhees, 1301 Laurel Oak Road.
Please visit the club’s Web site at YellowRibbonClub.org for information about needed items and drop-off points.
To inquire about donating items or to volunteer, please send an email to the club at info@yellowribbon.org.
