Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Send aloha to our
troops overseasQuestion: Is there any local agency that would provide addresses or take care of mailing packages to the military men and women from Hawaii serving in the Middle East? I think that would be a good thing for the kids to get involved in.
Answer: Because of the anthrax scare that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the Department of Defense no longer allows forwarding personal care packages and/or letters by the public to "any service member."
We checked with the American Red Cross and the military in Hawaii and found no organized local effort to collect letters or packages to send to troops, from Hawaii or elsewhere, deployed overseas.
However, the Department of Defense has approved "Operation USO Care Package," sponsored by the United Service Organizations (USO), in which individuals and businesses can provide overseas military members with personal items, plus a personal message.
A donation of $25 will purchase one care package, which includes items such as prepaid international calling cards, disposable cameras, toiletries and sunscreen.
Personal messages to accompany your care package will be transcribed by volunteers and USO staff onto official postcards.
For more information, call1-866-USO-GIVE (876-4483) or check the Web site, www.usometrodc.org/care.html.
Checks should be made payable to USO OUCP. Send it and your message to USO "Operation USO Care Package," c/o Pentagon Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 19221, Alexandria, VA 22320-9998.
The Department of Defense earlier sent out a news release listing the Web sites of several organizations that have programs to support overseas troops.
One allows you to send an e-mail greeting through Operation Dear Abby at http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/ or www.OperationDearAbby.net.
Although letters no longer will be delivered to unnamed service members, Operation Dear Abby provides a "private and secure online resource" to send a greeting.
Another Web site -- www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html -- allows you to send an e-mail saying simply, "Dear member of the U.S. military: Thank you for defending our freedom."
The Department of Defense asks the public not to flood the military mail system with letters, cards and gifts. Some people have tried to avoid the prohibition of mailing items to "any servicemember" by sending large numbers of packages to one servicemember's address. But this, the DOD said, "however well intentioned, clogs the mail and causes unnecessary delays."
A Clearer Eggs-planation
Monday's Kokua Line noted that the state Department of Health's Food & Drug Branch monitors eggs sold at retail outlets. That's mainly for health reasons. The state Department of Agriculture's Commodities Branch also checks on eggs sold at retail, mainly to see if they comply with state labeling requirements regarding grade and size. The branch inspects egg farms for the federal government and supermarkets for the state government.
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Useful phone numbers
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com