JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – September 19, 2017 – Providing support for U.S. Troops, Coastal Spine and Pain Center is partnering with Operation Shoebox to collect fun and practical items for service men and women serving abroad and returning home.
From now till October 6, 2017, all Coastal Spine and Pain Center locations will accept the following items for donation (full listing below*): candy, stationery, dental items, instant drink mixes, dry food snacks, games, music, printed materials, reading items, music, toiletries and more. Each center will have a box for donation of the items, located in the lobby, and staff will sort the items for delivery to Operation Shoebox.
In 2015, Coastal Spine and Pain Center locations procured a total of 154 boxes to ship to military. Patients and the public are welcome to donate during business hours.
“We are proud to partner with Operation Shoebox again,” said Coastal’s Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Lori Moonen. “We hope this brings our troops some happiness and we are aiming to increase our donations this year.”
Founded in 2003 by a military mom, Operation Shoebox partners with organizations like Coastal Spine and Pain Center to provide U.S. Troops with “practical tokens of kindness in the form of snacks, personal care items, entertainment and thank-you notes to men and women stationed around the world.”
“Coastal is grateful for the service of our troops and we want to continue to support the men and women serving our country through Operation Shoebox,” said Coastal Physician Dr. Ferdinand Formoso.
For a list of all Coastal Spine and Pain Center locations please visit www.coastalspineandpaincenter.com. For more information about the drive or Coastal Spine and Pain Center, contact Lori Moonen at lmoonen@cspcjax.com. For more information about Operation Shoebox, please visit www.operationshoebox.com.
The following items are acceptable:
CANDY
• Candy (heat resistant, no chocolate)
• Fruit Breezes (throat drops)
• Twizzlers
STATIONERY
• Writing paper and envelopes
• Pens/pencils
DENTAL
• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Floss
• Mouthwash
DRINK
• Coffee (instant)
• Coffee creamer
• Gatorade
• Powdered drink mixes
• Tea mixes (sweet)
• KoolAid bursts- to freeze
FOOD (including dry goods, snacks)
• 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
GAMES
• Playing cards
• Board games
• Checkers (travel size)
• Chess (travel size)
• Crossword puzzles
MUSIC
• CDs
• DVDs new and used
• Hand held electronic games
PRINTED MATERIALS
• Books (novels, short stories)
• Newspapers (local)
• Magazines
TOILETRIES/HYGIENE
• 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
• Cotton swabs
• Razors (disposable)
• Shampoo
• Sunscreen
• Tissues (heavy duty – i.e. Puffs)
• Tylenol (individual packets)
OTHER
• Plastic spoons
• American flags (small)
• Baggies (with zip lock)
• Batteries (AA, D, ….)
• Bug spray (must be packaged in zip-lock bag)
• Duct tape
• Disposable cameras
• Flashlights (mini/mag lite, extra bulbs, lots of batteries)
• Fans (battery powered – small – with extra batteries)
• Fly strips
• Fly swatters
• Pre-paid phone cards
• Shoe insole cushion
• Socks (cushioned white calf high)
SEASONAL
• Canned turkey and Thanksgiving food items
• Small unbreakable holiday decorations
• Christmas stockings