Did you know that you can get free envelopes and supplies to ship items to U.S. servicemen and women?
In fact, there are some things you should consider when sending care packages over the holidays.
Here are some little-known facts about sending items to U.S. Troops overseas…
Free Envelopes & Shipping Supplies
Before you go on the hunt for boxes, tape, envelopes, and the like to ship items to Soldiers in the U.S. Military, consider the following:
The United States Post Office offers FREE shipping materials as part of their CareKit#4. (More info here.)
To get yours, simply call their Expedited Package Supply Center at 1-800-610-8734.
Of course, you could always leave the shipping to someone else by sending gift baskets instead of your own individual items!
Before Mailing Items To Soldiers Overseas
Be sure to follow the guidelines found here:
Need Some Gift Ideas For Soldiers?
Here is an extensive list of items that would be great inside a Holiday Care Package for a U.S. Soldier.
And here are a few more…
- Soldiers who must be apart from their families during Thanksgiving or Christmas are likely to appreciate some holiday-themed items to help them beat the blues during this time.
- Believe it or not, soldiers enjoy holiday decorations, including Christmas lights!
- If you’d like something to arrive in time for Christmas, try to mail it by December 1st (or even earlier, if possible).
- Sending your care package “priority” will speed up the time it takes to get to the APO, but not the time it takes to get from the APO to the soldier’s actual location.
- Holiday cards and an address book with names & addresses of their friends & family members makes a great gift idea.
- To make it even easier for a soldier you love, consider sending self-addressed envelopes — but no stamps. (Soldiers can send mail postage-free!)
I like to help people find unique ways to do things in order to save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” ideas that most wouldn’t think of. As a lifelong dog owner, I often share my best tips for living with and training dogs. I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I’m truly passionate about. I’ve worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
