Feed Uncle SAM: The Care Package Project

Utahns unite in support of the National Guard

Update 02/24/08 "

From founder of Feed Uncle Sam

"The Feed Uncle SAM care package project started when Renee G.—whose husband Lee is deployed to Iraq with the National Guard—contacted J.—wife of Lieutenant B., and the Family Readiness Group leader of the same unit. R.s boss, Kevin Head of Mesa Systems, Inc., had offered to provide free boxes and shipping supplies if a care package activity were to be organized.

Before long the offer for free boxes expanded to include the use of the company’s SAMs—Store and Move portable storage containers.  It was decided that the SAMs would be used to collect donated care package items throughout the state, and that the packages would be sent to ALL of Utah’s deployed National Guard soldiers—over 700 men and women.  The goal was to fill up the SAM—hence the campaign name: Feed Uncle SAM.

The SAM project officially began on 9/11 and continued through 11/11. Each Saturday for those two months, volunteers would go—with the SAM—to various parking lots and stand in front of stores, greeting customers and explaining the need for donations.  Boxes were filled with items falling into three general categories: edible, entertainment and personal hygiene.  Cash donations were also received, to help with the cost of shipping.

By October 11^th—the “half-way day”—one warehouse vault full of items and about $3,000 had been gathered.  When approximately 30 volunteers returned to the Mesa Systems Warehouse (where the items have been stored) on Nov 8^th—just three days before the deadline—that amount had multiplied to approximately 6 vaults and more than $8500—most of which came in a dollar or two at a time.

A final drop-off day was held on Saturday 10 November.  RC Willey stores across the Wasatch Front invited SAM volunteers and contributors alike to finish the drive with a bang. In that day alone, over $3,000 in cash donations were received! Many items donations came in by the truck-full—businesses who had gathered items among their employees, schools who had held “treats for troops” drives and written hundreds of letters, eagle scout candidates who had organized their own local drives, church groups who had worked together to collect items, families who had chosen to forego their own Christmas exchanges in order to provide a good Christmas for the soldiers, and so much more!

through all the new donations in order to be able to assemble those packages!

90 students from Spanish Fork Junior High joined scores Army wives and moms, along with dozens of public volunteers to sort items and build care packages.  After boxes had been filled for all of  deployed National Guard soldiers, 120 UTANG troops were added to the list of those to receive Christmas presents from Uncle SAM. Even then, boxes of donated items remained to be used—and donations kept pouring in throughout the day.

After nearly 12 hours of sorting, assembling, labeling and taping, volunteers left the warehouse—though the vaults of donated items were far from empty.  Many remaining items were put on hold, to be sent to the troops at a later day.  Jennie Taylor and two other volunteers returned to the warehouse on Tuesday 13 November 2007 to decide what to put where, and when to send a second wave of packages. 

After leaving the warehouse on the 13^th, J. went to the State Farm Insurance Agency in South Jordan to pick up a donation check. In addition to the boxes and boxes of items the Agents had already donated, they presented the Feed Uncle SAM project with a check for $12,000—enough money to nearly double the cash value of the project-to-date.  The money will provide a $20 AAFES gift card for every single deployed NG soldier.

Those who have taken part in the SAM project know it is about much more than sending stuff to soldiers—it’s about uniting as a community behind those who represent us as volunteer members of the National Guard. It’s about setting politics aside and coming together as families, neighbors—and even absolute strangers—in pursuit of a common goal.  It is about reigniting the flame of patriotism and rekindling the sense of gratitude for those men and women of the Armed Services that for generations has kept this nation the land of the free—because of the brave.

SAM Package Distribution:

Each deployed unit will receive a “Deployment Kit.”  These kits will be shared by the soldiers of that unit, and then brought back to Utah when their tour of duty is completed—at which time they will be sent out with the next deploying Utah National Guard unit. 

The kits contain: a library of books, DVDs, CDs, video games, video game systems (including XBOX, XBOX 360, Nintendo Game Cube, Play Station 2 and more), board games, a volleyball set, soccer balls, footballs, baseballs and bats, dart boards, horseshoe sets, bocce sets, lasso golf sets, microwaves, coffee pots and an artificial Christmas tree with lights and decorations.

Each unit will also receive two 6-foot by 4-foot vinyl banners—which will serve as the “from” cards to accompany the packages.  They will include the names and signatures of hundreds of the thousands of people who have contributed to the SAM project. One banner for each unit was donated by the Southern Utah University Learning Center, who sponsored a “Make a Difference Day” event on Oct. 27^th.  The theme thereof was “Our Troops ROCK,” with a rock representing each deployed troop being carried by runners of a 3K race.  At the end of the race, the rocks were arranged on the sidewalk to read, “THANK YOU.”

Some SAM Facts:

Project Coordinator: J. wife of deployed soldier Lieutenant B.and Family Readiness Group leader of the National Guard

Southern Utah Coordinator: Ashley Warren, of Cedar City; wife of deployed soldier Andrew Warren

Number of key SAM volunteers: 15

Estimated number of coordinating volunteers throughout Utah: 100

Estimated number of participants throughout Utah: tens of thousands

Sponsor: Mesa Systems, Inc of Salt Lake City; Kevin Head, CEO.  Provided warehouse space for storage and assembly of all items and packages; boxes for gathering, storing and shipping packages; use and transportation of SAM units to gather items state-wide

soldier Lee Goldsmith and employee of Mesa Systems, Inc.

Some SAM Stats

 (Numbers of participating groups below are as far as project organizer Jennie Taylor is personally aware.  It is anticipated that many more people and groups have participated anonymously throughout the state)

Number of Utah National Guard Soldiers to receive an individual care package: 720

Number of participating schools: more than 40

Number of participating businesses, church groups and organizations: more than 90

Number of Eagle Scouts involved: approximately 10

American Flags used at Mesa Systems on the Packing Day: 100, lent out by Colonial Flag

Money donated: $16,000 cash + $12,000 from State Farm Insurance Agents

Most donations came in the form of a dollar—or maybe 5—at a time, which shows that hundreds, if not thousands, of people contributed money. Cash donations have been/will be put toward the purchasing of care package items and shipping.  The $12,000 from State Farm’s agents will provide for a $20 AAFES gift card to be given to each deployed UTNG soldier.  

Overall Retail Value of Items Donated: at least $50,000—putting the total value of the SAM project at more than $75,000.

Number of Saturday SAM sites (drop-off points) held: 31 in 9 weeks

Some of the care package items received:

Cards & Letters: 5,000 +

Microwave Popcorn: 5,000 +

Paperback Books: thousands

Toothbrushes: 5,000 +

Powdered Drink Mixes: 6,000 +

Bags of Cookies: 3,500+

Granola Bars: 3,700 +

Hygiene Kits: 2,100+

Beef Jerky: 3,000 +

Board games: 200 +

*Contributed a considerable amount of time, resources and/or money

**Contributed a ridiculously large amount of time, resources, and/or money" From Feed Uncle Sam

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