Kids & Family

Chester Resident Helps Local Company Support Troops Overseas

Operation Appreciation designed to make soldiers feel good around the holiday season.

One of Chester’s residents, along with her family, will spend a day this December organizing hundreds of care packages for U.S. troops deployed overseas.

Jackie Wachsmuth of Brighton Cromwell is helping her company join with the United Way of Northern New Jersey to assist soldiers who can’t be home for the holidays, and is looking for the public’s support.

Dubbed Operation Appreciation, the care packages will provide necessary and desired items to active duty troops while “curbing some of the sadness that can accompany separation from loved ones during the holiday season,” Brighton Cromwell said in a press release.

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The Randolph-based business will use its warehouse to store and pack the care packages before they are shipped overseas. The actually packaging of the goods will take place on Dec. 14. United Way’s role will be to collect items requested by soldiers and sign up community volunteers and help box the care packages, the statement said.

United Way of Northern New Jersey is looking for the following items for soliders:

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  • Prepaid Phone Cards
  • Roll-on Deodorant
  • Ready-to-Eat Tuna/Chicken Salad Kits
  • Energy Bars
  • Over-The-Counter Meds (Advil, etc.)
  • Soap
  • Travel Size Foot Powder
  • Commercially Wrapped Individual Trail Mix Packets
  • Commercially Wrapped Candy
  • Eye Drops
  • Commercially Sealed Lip Balm
  • Hand Warmers
  • Individually Wrapped Beef Jerky
  • Commercially Wrapped Gum
  • Travel Size Hand Sanitizer
  • Toothpaste/Toothpaste/ Dental Floss
  • Single Serve Packets of Hot Cereal
  • Single Serve Packets of Cold Cereal
  • Commercially Wrapped Cookies
  • Travel Size Toiletries

Financial contributions can be sent directly to the United Way of Northern New Jersey-Front Line Fund, PO Box 1948, Morristown, NJ. Mark the memo line of each check as “Operation Appreciation.”

“I know the community is up to this challenge,” said Rob Van Etten, President and CEO at Brighton Cromwell in the statement. “Morris County has a strong record of support for our military families and deployed troops. Operation Appreciation is another example of the tremendous gratitude we have across Morris County for everything they do to protect our way of life.”

Anyone looking for more information can contact Wachsmuth at 973-252-4100. 


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