Bonds Through Boxes: How a Wounded Warrior Connects with Care
You’re just missing home: the smell of your parents, your family, any bit of America you can get. You miss it. It feels good that someone cares enough to put this together.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 27, 2020) — Be careful if you’re over at Nancy Beetstra’s house; you might have to shimmy past a stack of soap or tango with a tower of toothbrushes. She’s not a hoarder, but rather a helper for heroes. Those items are going in care packages for U.S. troops stationed overseas.
Nancy, a Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) warrior and staff member, knows how much those packages mean to servicemen and women; she received them when she was in the Marines.
“The smell of home meant the world to me,” Nancy, who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, said. “You’re just missing home: the smell of your parents, your family, any bit of America you can get. You miss it. It feels good that someone cares enough to put this together.”
Nancy hasn’t been alone in preparing packages. Several WWP supporters, eager to give back despite difficult times during the coronavirus pandemic, have jumped into action by sending materials to troops and creating thank you cards that were placed inside.
“The cards were something amazing that me and my kids could do during this time,” said Tangella Williams, a supporter from Maryland. “I had all the kids at my daughter’s daycare to decorate them.”
“As a veteran, I loved participating in the thank you cards for our servicemen and women overseas,” said Lisa Hosterman, a supporter in New York City. “I was excited to help in this small way.”
In one case, the connection through the care packages goes a little deeper. Nancy’s cousin Jay, an Army veteran in Afghanistan, received one. It’s a tangible bond as he continues to march in his family’s footsteps.
“I remember him saying ‘I can’t wait to join the military when I get older,’” Nancy recalls.
Thanks to WWP supporters, he got a little taste of home while serving our country, just like his cousin did.
Contact: Chris Obarski — Public Relations, cobarski@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.570.0823
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.