Lions Provide Care Packages For US Troops In Iraq

The Family Support Group of the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion of Danbury, led by Sgt Stacie Warden-Shields of Newtown, put out a call recently for donations for holiday care packages for the unit’s troops in Iraqi. The Newtown Lions Club responded to that request on Friday, November 19, by purchasing more than $500 worth of items that had been requested by the soldiers in Iraq.

Costco joined the Lions by making a $50 donation for the troops. The items were delivered to the Army Reserve Center on Eagle Road in Danbury where members of the Family Support Group will assemble the care packages. The care packages will be mailed to the troops as soon as possible.

The Family Support Group plans to create care packages for their troops during the winter months of February or March. The group hopes that additional area organizations and companies will respond with donations for the wintertime care package drives.

Sgt Shields’ husband, Sgt First Class Bernard Shields, is serving in the Tikrit area of northern Iraq with the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, where convoys of personal care items frequently are targeted by the militants and do not reach the troops.

“I am the family support group leader for my husband’s unit,” Sgt Shields explained in The Bee last week. “I decided that if these items can’t get through by convoy, we will mail them because the mail always goes by air and gets through.”

Items that are needed include such things as pipe cleaners, soap and washcloths, towels, toothpicks, lip balm, games (card and board), DVDs, CDs, bed sheets and pillow cases, sunblock, Q-Tips, tooth brushes, toothpaste, dental floss, bandages (2- by 2-inch and 4- by 4-inch), antibiotic ointment, baby powder, A&D ointment, black writing pens with clips, sunflower seeds, small notebooks, AAA to D batteries, Christmas stockings, stocking stuffers, school supplies.

Also, nonperishable foods (anything that can be made with hot water) including instant coffee, powdered creamer, powdered Gatorade, Tang, crackers, Cheese Nips, cookies, beef jerky, plastic eating utensils, large and small zip-lock bags, individual boxes of laundry detergent, and dryer sheets.

Money also is needed to cover the costs of mailing the items and for publishing and distributing a monthly newsletter to help families keep in touch with the soldiers and each other.

Anyone who would like to help can contact Lions Club members Weyland Johnson at 426-5418 or Paul Arneth at 426-5359.