Texas F.B.L.A. Community Service Guide

Transcription

1 Texas F.B.L.A. Community Service Guide

2 President s Letter Greetings Texas F.B.L.A. members and advisers! It is with great excitement and pleasure that your State Action Team announces our Statewide Community Service Partner, Operation Shoebox. Throughout this year, we hope that our state chapter can influence this organization in its mission of providing hands-on support for our troops deployed overseas and returning home. The nearly 5,000 F.B.L.A. members have a great opportunity at hand to thank those who have served and continue to serve our community! Throughout this packet, you will find instructions on what your chapter can do to support our partner and engage in our community service project. I thoroughly believe that no matter how small or large your chapter s contributions may be, the impact it has on our troops will be momentous! I, along with the remainder of your State Action Team hope that you enjoy these projects and that you take advantage of this opportunity to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for our state and nation. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact your local state officers by visiting We look forward to hearing from you about your chapter s engagement in our Statewide Community Service Project and hope to see you at our Annual State Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas from March 8th to the 10th at the Hyatt Regency! Christopher Hulburt, Texas F.B.L.A. State President 1

3 Table of Contents President s Letter 1 Table of Contents 2 What is Operation Shoebox? 3 Projects for High School Chapters 4 Statewide Community Service Promo Competition 5 Frequently Asked Questions 6 What to include in a care package? 7 2

4 What is Operation Shoebox? Operation Shoebox is an organization that assembles care packages to send to our troops. As Texas FBLA we have decided to participate in this Community Service Project, to give back to our troops. This may seem like an ordinary project but it's much more than that. Partnering with Operation Shoebox enables Texas FBLA to help one less soldier sleep with cold feet, brighten their day with a heartwarming letter, or provide the support our proud men and women need to continue serving our country. Operation Shoebox embraces its mission of providing hands-on support for our troops deployed overseas and returning home. It is the mission of Operation Shoebox to meet the needs of every hero with dignity and appreciation by either assembling care packages or hosting fundraisers to help our troops. Texas FBLA is asking its chapters to assemble care packages throughout the school year and document their progress by posting pictures of their care packages on social media and tagging Texas FBLA and using the hashtag #fblacares. We will also be hosting a gathering of care packages at our State Conference in Dallas, Texas from March 8th through the 10th. Collect items for our State Community Service Project by putting together care packages. Start by hosting a care package drive at your School. You don t need to be near a military base nor directly know members of the military to collect items. Please review this document to understand how you can help. You can also refer to Operation Shoebox s website at for more information. For any additional questions, please contact any of our state officers as we would be more than happy to help. Help Texas F.B.L.A. Impact our Community! 3

5 Projects for High School Chapters There are multiple ways for high school chapters to partake in this project; if one of these options does not suit you, please feel free to be creative with your chapter s approach to this project. 1. Hold an event at school. Have your members bring items to donate and assemble the care package. This can be a fun opportunity to network with other members for a beneficial cause. 2. Members assemble their own care packages and the chapter collects them. Members can gather the supplies for the care packages and assemble them, then bring them to school and give them to your chapter. 3. Write letters to the troops. If your chapter is unable to assemble care packages, writing letters to our troops is just as important. Let them know they are appreciated. Your chapter can either hold an event to write letters or collect the letters from the members. 4. Hold a community-wide event. Encourage your whole community to participate. Hold a large event for your community to assemble care packages. Either your members could collect items to bring to the event, or request community members to bring items as well. Your chapter should lead this event. In addition, Texas FBLA encourages your chapter to continue this project throughout the entire year. You can have multiple assembling events and continue to create care packages throughout the entire year. We would like your chapter to bring your care packages to state as you continue this project throughout the year. 4

6 Statewide Community Service Promo Competition We highly encourage you to participate in our statewide community service project. The State Officer Team has organized a friendly competition between chapters across the entire state. We will be recognizing the top 10 schools at our State Leadership Conference this upcoming March. The top schools that gather the most care packages and bring them to SLC will win the competition. If your chapter is unable to bring the packages to SLC, please be sure to send an accurate count of the care packages and a picture of your chapter s members with the packages to our State Adviser, Ms. D Ann Matlock (stateadviser@fblatx.org). To keep us notified of your chapter s progress, please reach out to us on social media (@texasfbla on Instagram and Twitter). Furthermore, if your chapter finds a creative way to assemble the packages, please send us pictures for an opportunity to be featured in the Texan. Photo Submissions and chapters that donated care packages to Operation Shoebox will be displayed and honored at the State Leadership Conference. 5

7 Frequently Asked Questions Can I enclose a card for the service member to return to me? Please do. Pre-addressed post cards or notes can be included in your package. Do not put stamps on these the soldiers have the right to send cards and letters without postage from a war zone. Should we put collected items into shoeboxes? No. Due to high postage fees, we are now requesting that members use gallon zip lock bags and place them in a larger cardboard box. Any wet items such as shampoo, lotion, etc. must be in separate zip lock bags. I am unable to donate. What are my other choices for helping our troops? There are several ways to help. Because they always include a handwritten Thank You note in every care package, they are always in need of those. Also, younger children can make or color pictures to be included, as our troops love receiving them. Do we have to take the care packages to the state conference? No, we encourage you to take them to the conference; however, you can also ship your care packages to Operation Shoebox directly. Please document your chapter s progress by posting pictures of their care packages on social media and tagging Texas FBLA and using the hashtag #fblacares. Where can I send the care packages? 8360 East Highway 25 Belleview, FL

8 What to include in a care package? Note: The items in red are items that Operation Shoebox sends directly in their care packages. Items in grey are additional goods that are greatly appreciated by the recipients of the care packages. Correspondence Food Hygiene Goods Other Writing Paper and Envelopes Pens/Pencils Dental Toothbrushes Toothpaste Floss Mouthwash Games Playing Cards Board Games Checkers (travel size) Chess (travel size) Crossword Puzzles Sudoku books Music CD Fanny Packs CDs Tapes DVDs new and used Hand held electronic games Candy Candy (heat resistant) Fruit Breezers (throat drops) Twizzlers Oatmeal (instant) Ramen Noodles-any flavor Bars (Clif or Balance) Beef Jerky Girl Scout Cookies Granola Bars Pop-Tarts Canned Fruit (pop top cans) Cereal (in small boxes) Gum Sugar packets Ravioli (pop top cans) Tuna Kits Drink Coffee (instant) Coffee Creamer Gatorade Powdered Drink Mixes Tea Mixes (sweet) Kool-Aid (bursts-to freeze) Baby Wipes Feminine Hygiene Products (for female soldiers) Travel size body wash Nose spray Eye Drops Deodorant Foot Powder Hairbrushes Hand Lotion Hand Sanitizers (waterless) Nail Clippers Q-Tips Razors (disposable) Shampoo Sunscreen Tissues (heavy duty i.e. Puffs) Tylenol (individual packets) Plastic spoons American Flags (small) Zip Lock Bags Batteries (AA, D,.) Bug Spray (in Zip Lock bag) Duct Tape Disposable Cameras Flashlights (mini/mag lite, extra bulbs, lots of batteries) Fans (small and battery operated) Fly Strips Fly Swatters Shoe Insole Cushion Socks (cushioned white calf high) Note: This table was copied and adapted from Operation Shoebox s website. 7

9 Please print, fill out, cut, and attach the above card in each of your chapter s care packages as a way to give thanks to its recipients from your chapter! 8