Blue Star Mothers send boxes to military personnel overseas
Boxes were recently packed for deployed military personnel. Eleven members of the Blue Star Mothers helped pack boxes. Pictured are: Amy Taylor, Lisa Cutshall, Irene Stubbs, Marlene Shaefer, Sharon Burns, Lynn Leach, Mary Skarke, Janet Harstine, and Bob and Coni Allen. Missing from the picture are Bob Allen and Bess VanAtta. Contributed | Beacon
COSHOCTON – Every year, members of the Blue Star Mothers in Coshocton County get together to pack and send boxes to military personnel overseas. Just last week, members sent 35 boxes to places such as Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Jordan that were filled with socks, feet warmers, hand warmers, snacks, toiletries, candy canes, stockings and a personalized card including a hand-written letter from local veteran Tom Edwards of Auer Ace Hardware who also donated items for the boxes. Also included in the boxes were letters from local Boy Scout troops and Christmas cards signed by members of the Blue Star Mothers. Annin Flag also donated flags for the packages.
There are 11 deployed military personnel from Coshocton County that Lisa Cutshall, organizer of the packages for Blue Star Mothers, sends each month. Her son, Richie Bechtol, was deployed on April 1 out of McConnellsville National Guard for 365 days.
“Anyone who has a deployed family member can get ahold of me and we will gladly send them a package,” said Cutshall.
Packages are usually sent out the first of the month and items are donated by local businesses. Blue Star Mothers recently had a fundraiser at the fair and also a quarter auction to help send the packages. When Cutshall sent 35 packages last week, the cost was approximately $400 in postage alone.
“We could not do any of this without the community support,” said Cutshall. “We raised about three-fourths of the money through the fundraiser at the fair.”
Contact Cutshall at 740-502-1289 if you would either like to donate items for the packages or if you have a family member deployed overseas who would like to receive a package.
“Even something like used Pringle cans are useful,” said Cutshall. “I sent my son some cookies in a zip lock bag and they were crushed into one big lump when he got them. I sent them over in a Pringle can next time and he said they were much better.”
The Blue Star Mothers meet once a month on the second Monday of each month at the Nazarene Church at 6:30 p.m.
“I hope the packages give them hope that somebody at home still cares,” said Cutshall.
The Blue Star Mothers do a lot for veterans in the community and especially help with Honor Flight by paying for veterans’ hotel rooms and meals.
“There’s a lot of people who don’t know that the Blue Star Mothers have a set amount we donate to the Coshocton County Veterans Service Commission. We have a small fund that Jim (Barstow) is in charge of and if a veteran comes in and needs help, we supply for their need.”
To learn more about Blue Star Mothers, find them on Facebook at Blue Star Mothers Coshocton OH59.
Category: Clubs & Organizations
