By MADDY VITALE
American Legion Post 524 is looking for a few good military men and women to receive special care packages from veterans through the “Coffee Express Program.”
Post members collect, pack and ship about 15 care packages each month to U.S. servicemen and women serving throughout the world. The program is in its 11th year.
The shipments contain, among other things, donations by local merchants and businesses.
“Post 524’s Coffee Express Program remains a vital link between our veterans and active servicemen and women overseas,” Post member and media liaison Doug Otto said Friday.
He continued, “The care package items supplied by Ocean City merchants and prepared by our members send well-deserved expressions of appreciation with an authentic taste of home.”
The USO assists the post in finding the military members and locations to send the packages to.
Post 524’s Coffee Express Committee, under the direction of Coffee Express Chairman Vince Rea, is seeking additional names and Army Post Office addresses of deployed service personnel who would enjoy receiving a taste of Ocean City while serving their country overseas.
The “Packages of Care,” as post members call them, contain an array of goodies, including fruit cups, nuts, popcorn, crackers, coffee and even magazines.
On the fourth Wednesday of every month, volunteers at Post 524 go shopping and buy in bulk to fill the care packages.
“They make a morning of creating what they hope will be a meaningful gesture to servicemen and women who receive the packages,” Rea said. “The goal is to help those who serve, because there is no better feeling than the reward of giving back.”
The goal of the care packages is to bring a touch of home to a person serving in the military, Rea said.
And each year, Post 524 receives letters from military members overseas thanking them for the care packages.
Post 524 Commander Bob Marzulli said in a prior interview with OCNJDaily.com that the troops appreciate the packages.
“We get so many letters of thanks. The packages are always shared with their fellow veterans,” Marzulli said. “This is what American Legion Post 524 is all about.”
For more information about American Legion Morvay-Miley-Cruice Post 524 and the Coffee Express Program, contact vincentjrea@gmail.com or visit www.legion524ocnj.org
