On Dec. 2, volunteers from OYRSJ will collect donations for the group’s annual holiday cookie and baked goods collection drive.
With more than a month left in fall, the volunteers of Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey are already hard at work planning to provide cookies and baked goods to the men and women of the armed forces serving in the Middle East during the upcoming winter holidays.
On Saturday, Dec. 2, volunteers from Operation Yellow Ribbon will be on hand at two locations in South Jersey for its annual holiday cookie and baked goods collection drive.
On that day, supporters are welcome to drop off homemade or store-bought treats and baked goods at the New Jersey 8th Legislative District Office, 176 Route 70, Suite 13 in Medford from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or at a new location this year at the Runnemede VFW Post №3324, 600 N. Black Horse Pike in Runnemede from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Although Operation Yellow Ribbon ships care packages to men and women serving overseas throughout the year, each holiday season the military-support group makes one final push of the year to boost the morale of troops away from home during the holidays.
According to Operation Yellow Ribbon chair Dave Silver, last year’s drive saw the group collect more than 6,000 pounds of treats in just one day.
“Just like every year in the past, the South Jersey community and even people from Pennsylvania can come and drop-off their favorite holiday cookies for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or any of the December holidays,” Silver said.
With the 6,000 pounds collected from last year’s drive, Silver said the group shipped more than 52,000 pounds of care packages for 2016.
For 2017, Silver said the group has already shipped more than 47,000 pounds, and he believes the upcoming cookie drive alone will allow the group to surpass last year’s total.
“We’re ready and we’re excited,” Silver said. “We have a lot of brave men and women deserving of our care packages and our cookies.”
For those looking to donate treats, Operation Yellow Ribbon asks that cookies be placed in layers in large, plastic zipper bags or disposable containers. While cookie tins will be accepted, those are discouraged as they will add to the group’s shipping costs.
Any containers shipped overseas will not be returned.
Supporters are also encouraged to include small notes of encouragement with their donations, and adults are also encouraged to include an email address in case a care package recipient wishes to respond.
“When you get a picture, an email, a thank you or a handwritten postcard, it just stops you in your tracks that these people are literally in the middle of war and they’re stopping to take time to send thanks to us,” Silver said. “That’s just priceless to me.”
Operation Yellow Ribbon also encourages children to write or make a holiday card or note to show their support, but they should not include contact information.
For those supporters who cannot attend either collection event on Dec. 2, donations will also be accepted at Family & Co. Jewelers on Route 70 in Marlton on Thursday, Nov. 30 and Friday Dec. 1.
For more information about the collection drive, contact Silver at oyrofsj@gmail.com.
