Happy Birthday US Navy!
Happy 239th Birthday, Navy!
Last year, we were at Walter Reed Military Medical Center when they were having a small Navy birthday celebration. It was pretty cool to witness… and the cake was yummy too! They were nice enough to share some of their birthday cake with us, while we handed out Tastykakes, gift cards and t-shirts! Thank you, Navy for sharing that with us last year. We hope you have a great birthday celebration this year!
Kait
Lone Survivor the Movie
It’s been a while. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and we wish you a healthy New Year!
Have any of you seen Lone Survivor? My husband and I saw it the other week. It’s a very good movie. It’s also very intense. It’s not a feel good movie by any means. However, I think it is a war movie…a war story…that America needs. By that I don’t mean that everyone should go see it, by all means it is not a movie for everyone. It’s a true war story…with a little bit of Hollywood film making in it… but it’s real and it show cases what many servicemen and women do for our country, what they risk and sacrifice, what their brother(sister)hood is like, the dangers they face. It’s eye opening. It’s not for everyone, but if you are up to it, go see it.
Kait
Holidays
Happy belated Thanksgiving! We are very grateful that we were able to spend the holiday with our families! We are also grateful to all the men and women who have served and who are currently serving our country! Thank you!
Wow! It’s been crazy around here. Finally settling in to our apartment and traveling home for the holidays. Not to mention wrapping up the 2013 Marshall Plan. We’ve finally gotten around to sending our package out to the Marine the Marshall Plan is named after. Each year after the delivery, we put together a box of Tastykakes and gift cards to send to Marshall and his family. So, they should be receiving it soon!
With Hanukkah here and Christmas right around the corner, you can send holiday mail to the troops. The Red Cross has a program called Holiday Mail for Heroes. The deadline is December 6, 2013! Soon! So, send some cards out quickly! There’s a list of guidelines on the website (use generic salutations, no glitter, no inserts of any kind, etc.). Please follow the guidelines! The address is Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456.
Kait
Letter of Success
Here’s our letter of success that we sent in to the local papers to let our supporters know how our delivery went and to thank all who made generous donations to our cause!
LehighValleyLive.com published our letter… however, it looks like they got Linda’s name wrong… Oops! Anyway, here’s the letter:
LETTER: Successful delivery to Walter Reed
Thanks again to all who donated and supported us in our 3rd year of collection Tastykakes for our wounded warriors!
Kait
The Delivery 2013
Wow! What a delivery! I apologize that this has taken me so long to post, but it’s done. Here’s how our delivery went down!
Our delivery went very well this year. Once again, this year, we collected roughly 1500 boxes of Tastykakes and over $10k! It was another successful year. Thank you all for your support!
The ride began on Saturday, October 12, 2013. Dave and Bob began their 3 day, 200 mile bicycle journey from Bethlehem, PA to Bethesda, MD. The weather held out for them. It was a bit muddy on the bike trail on day 2, but it wasn’t terrible. They were tired and a bit sore, but they arrived at their destination safe and sound, and in great time too.
Dave and Bob ready to start their 200 mile ride!
Courtesy of Kym. On their way!
On Monday, October 14, 2013, Linda, my husband, and I drove down to Bethesda, along with Tom and Gannon and our trailer of Tastykakes. We met up at our hotel with Dave and Bob. My husband and I finished writing the value of the gift cards on them and then we got ready to head out to dinner.
One of over $8k worth of gift cards!
We got ready and walked to our traditional pre-delivery dinner location: The Tavern at Fire Station 1! We had a great time and good food. It was a nice way to celebrate another successful collection of Tastykakes to support our troops.
Fire Station 1, Silver Spring, MD. Site of our traditional pre-delivery dinner.
We woke up at a decent hour on Tuesday, October 15, 2013, to get ready for our 3rd delivery of Tastykakes and gift cards to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. One we arrived at Walter Reed, we headed straight for the loading dock so we could unload hundreds and hundreds of Tastykakes. We had a lot of help from some wonderful civilian and military employees of the hospital.
Trailer full of Tastykakes!
Unloading…
Lots of Tastykakes!
Even more…
Unloaded and waiting to transport them into the building.
Once we had all of the Tastykakes unloaded and on the loading dock, we put them on dollies and transported them to the lobby where the events staff at Walter Reed already had a table set up for us. We were set up right across from the Warrior Cafe. There was also another table set up in the lobby with a birthday cake for the US Navy’s 238th birthday (Happy Belated Birthday, US Navy)! We hung up our banner that Kari made for us this year on our table, got the gift cards out, the Tastykake t-shirts, and we started to unbox a bunch of cases of Tastykakes and set them up on the table.
Setting up!
Hanging up the banner.
Setting up our table.
Once we were set up, we started handing out our donated items to wounded warriors and troops who walked by. It was nice to hand out Tastykakes and interact with many of the men and women who serve and sacrificed so much for our country. We had many come by who never heard of Tastykakes or who heard of them but never tried them. We had some come by who loved Tastykakes and found their favorites. We even had a few boxes of PowerBars donated this year. Those went very quickly, as many of these wounded warriors wanted to watch what they eat and stay in shape. The gift cards were extremely popular as well.
We were set up from 10am until 1:30pm, so we hit the lunch time rush right in front of the Warrior Cafe. We were also set up when the Navy had their cake cutting ceremony for the Navy’s 238th birthday. So, we received quite a bit of exposure. We even had some wounded warriors and their families coming back for more Tastykakes because they love them so much!
A nice note from the person who donated this box of Tastykakes.
Gannon with Tastykakes and Tastykake t-shirts!
Handing out Tastykakes.
Some of the many boxes of Tastykakes that were donated.
Our set up.
We passed out a lot of Tastykakes, but we still had a lot more in boxes!
One of our signs.
Another nice note from someone who donated Tastykakes!
I enjoyed finding these boxes of Tastykakes with notes written on them for the wounded warriors. How sweet.
By the end of our time at Walter Reed, we still had a ton of Tastykakes left to hand out, so with the help of the events staff, we filled up our table again with Tastykakes – sky high – and left them out for wounded warriors to take as they passed through the area. We made sure the gift cards were handed out to wounded warriors and their families. We hope the Tastykakes were thoroughly enjoyed!
Our table stacked sky high with Tastykakes.
We had a wonderful day. It was humbling and moving to be able to hand out Tastykakes to the many men and women who serve our country. The Walter Reed staff was fantastic to work with. It was awesome to interact with so many service men and women. We had a fun. It was a very good day.
We are very grateful for the experience we had and we are very grateful to all who serve and sacrifice for our country. We are thrilled to be able to show our appreciation and gratitude in a small way, but this can’t begin to explain how grateful we truly are to everyone serving our country, past and present.
Thank you to Walter Reed for being very accommodating!
Thank YOU for all your support and donations to make 2013 another fantastic delivery!
and a BIG THANK YOU to all our service men and women who sacrifice so much for us!
Thank you!
Kait
Photos
I’m back! Sorry for the delay in updating the blog with photos and our account of the delivery! My husband and I just got back from vacation! We had a great time, but more importantly, I finally uploaded some photos from our delivery to our Facebook page.
Here’s a link to the photos.
I will update the blog with an account of the delivery soon, along with posting the photos on here.
Kait
UPDATE: Thank you, Operation Gratitude, for pointing out to me that the link to our FB page didn’t work! Here is the correct link to our Facebook page!
Sweet Success
Today was a sweet success!
I will update about our journey and share picture with you soon!
Thank you for all your support, it helped make this another successful year!
Kait
Tomorrow
Tomorrow is the big day! The journey from Bethlehem to Bethesda starts tomorrow! Bob and Dave will be leaving in the morning for Day 1 of the ride. The weather has been rainy here the last couple of days, so lets hope it holds off and they have great weather for their 3 day ride!
Today, Dave and Bob collected the Tastykakes and have them all ready to be loaded into the trailer to drive down to Bethesda. We have lots of Tastykakes! Here are a few pictures from today:
Bob and Dave with some donated Tastykakes that were wrapped up nicely.
Lots of Tastykakes!
More Tastykakes!
And…Even more Tastykakes!
We still have a handful of Tastykakes to be added to that pile! And Flowers Foods sent their donation of Tastykakes directly to Walter Reed for us to be delivered Tuesday morning when we hand out the cakes! Awesome!
Linda also went out to purchase $8k worth of gift cards to hand out with the Tastykakes. Here’s a few pictures of just a handful of the gift cards! There are quite a few more!
A bunch of the gift cards we will be handing out.
We are ready! This is going to be a great event! Thank you all so much for your donations. It’s not too late to donate, we are still accepting monetary donations. You can mail a check to: The Marshall Plan, PO Box 332, Bethlehem, PA 18016 or you can donate via PayPal (see our donate page). Remember, you don’t need a PayPal account to donate through PayPal.
Thank you!
Kait
Publicity and Donations!
I hope you all saw us on Channel 69 News! Apparently, it replayed again at 10pm last night!
I received an email this morning from Blaire Galaton, the producer of the B101 Philly Jenn & Michael Morning Show. She said she heard about our story and wanted to talk to me and record a short interview for the morning show tomorrow morning! Sweet! So, I got in touch with her today and she gave me a call and filled me in on how the phone interview would work. It was pretty brief, but everyone was very friendly and I think it will be another great way for us to get our story out! It will air tomorrow morning between 5am and 9am. Make sure you tune in to B101 to hear about us!
Thank you, B101 Philly for contacting me about our collection! We appreciate it!
WAEB AM 790 posted our info on their Clear Channel Communities Local Charity Events page. Bob also did a quick interview a few weeks ago on WAEB AM 790‘s Bobby Gunther Walsh Show.
A big thanks to WAEB AM 790 as well!
Valley National Financial Advisors delivered their donation to support The Marshall Plan today. Judianne Harris, marketing coordinator at VNFA, emailed a photo today of their delivery and a little note to go along with it. Here it is:
Jane Kapinas, Vice President at Valley National Financial Advisors, presented Tastykakes and a monetary donation to Bob Price of Team Capital Bank, on behalf of the entire staff at Valley National Financial Advisors in support of The Marshall Plan. Donations from Valley National and other local organizations will be delivered to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland during the week of October 14, 2013.
Awesome! Thank you so much, Valley National Financial Advisors!
Also, we are extending our donation deadline until Friday, October 11, 2013 because we’ve received such a great out pour of support over the last week and a half!
We’ve received some great publicity this year! We appreciate all of the support sent our way! Keep it coming! We are getting very excited for our delivery next Tuesday!
Kait
Local News Segment!
Make sure to watch Channel 69 News WFMZ-TV tonight at 5pm! There should be a segment about the Marshall Plan!
This morning I met with reporter Bo Koltnow and cameraman Albert for a quick interview about the Marshall Plan! Bo and Albert were very nice and put me at ease (since I prefer to be behind the scenes), and fortunately, they are dog people, so they tolerated our “zoo!” We did a short interview and they asked me so questions beforehand to help them have a better understanding of our mission. They were here for maybe 20 minutes at the most. They even entertained our pooches for a bit too. They were very respectful of our wishes and I even showed them a few photos of previous Marshall Plan deliveries. It was a great experience.
Bo and Albert are also meeting with Bob today to get some more footage for the segment!
Our segment should be on tonight at 5pm! How cool!? Make sure to watch! If you are not local and cannot watch Channel 69 News WFMZ-TV, you will be able to find out segment online on WFMZ’s website either later tonight or tomorrow. Please be sure to look out for it! We are very grateful that Channel 69 is doing a segment on us!
We are only a week away from the delivery!!!
Make sure to watch!
Kait
Article
The Morning Call published an article about us in yesterday’s newspaper! Aweomse!!
Here’s a link to the article: Tastykakes for Troops Check it out!
Donations are still welcome! Any little bit helps. We greatly appreciate it!
Thank you!
Kait
Donations
Hey all! I’m back in PA with only 11 days left until our Marshall Plan delivery and only 8 days until the Bethlehem to Bethesda ride begins!
We have received a handful of donations already and we are very grateful! Thank you for all your donations! Please keep the donations coming, we are hoping to make this year our best one yet! You can mail a check to our PO Box: The Marshall Plan, PO Box 332, Bethlehem, PA 18016, you can drop boxes of Tastykakes off at any Allentown and Bethlehem Team Capital Bank location, or you can donate via PayPal (the link is below).
Thanks again for all your support! We really appreciate it and we are sure our troops will appreciate it as well!
Kait
Video Media
ViaMedia, LLC created a media ad for us that they will be scheduling to air on various cable networks throughout their markets. How cool?! We don’t have the schedule yet of when it will be airing, but I do have the video and I am able to share it with you! Here it is! Let us know what you think!
Kait
Quick Update
Just wanted to post a quick update. Our letter to the editor has also been published on the Morning Call‘s website. Hopefully, that means it was printed in the Morning Call as well. Here’s a link to our letter.
Tastykakes form basis of this Marshall Plan
You can donate via PayPal on our “Donate” page. You can also mail a check to our PO Box (more info on our “Donate” page) and we will be collecting boxes of Tastykakes at Bethlehem and Allentown Team Capital Bank Locations from September 30, 2013 to October 9, 2013.
Thank you! We appreciate your support!
Kait
Letter to the Editor
LehighValleyLive.com published our Letter to the Editor early this morning. Just wanted to share it with you!
LETTER: Support the troops through Marshall Plan
We are now accepting monetary donations sent to our PO Box or through PayPal. We will be collecting Tastykakes at Allentown and Bethlehem Team Capital Bank locations starting Monday, September 30, 2013 to Wednesday, October 9, 2013. We appreciate your generosity!
I will keep you all posted. I will be heading back to North Carolina tomorrow to move into our new apartment and prepare for my husband’s return, so updates might be a little scarce the next few days!
Kait
The Date is Set!
We have a date! We are all set and approved! Now it’s time to spread the word!
We will be delivering Tastykakes to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 15!
Below is our press release. It will also be posted on our Press Release page.
THE MARSHALL PLAN COLLECTING TASTYKAKES AND DONATIONS FOR US TROOPS
Lehigh Valley, PA, August 28, 2013 – When Kaitlin Reinbold’s Marine boyfriend was stationed in Afghanistan in 2011, she sent care packages to remind him of home. Tastykakes were the most popular items with the Marines, particularly with one named Marshall, who had never had them before. In June 2011, Marshall was severely injured by an I.E.D. He endured surgeries, rehabilitation and physical therapy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Marshall’s story inspired Bob Price, a friend of Kaitlin’s family, with an idea: to show wounded warriors our gratitude and respect by delivering boxes of Tastykakes to Walter Reed. “The Marshall Plan” came together. In October 2011, Bob and Dave Reinbold, Kaitlin’s father, rode on bicycles from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Bethesda, Maryland – 200 miles – followed by the Tastykakes and the rest of the team by car a few days later. The Plan was successfully repeated in October of 2012.
Over the last two years, the Marshall Plan has delivered more than 3,000 boxes of Tastykakes and over $20,000 in monetary donations, most of which was used to purchase gift cards for wounded warriors and their families.
The Marshall Plan succeeded because of the kindness and generosity of family members, friends and citizens of the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. Support also came from Team Capital Bank, The Tasty Baking Company/Flowers Foods, and especially Lehigh Valley Tastykake Sales Distributors who were quick to respond with a generous donation.
The Marshall Plan is gearing up to repeat the drive to support our wounded troops. The delivery to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland is scheduled for the week of October 14, 2013. Fresh Tastykakes can be dropped off at any Team Capital Bank location from Monday, September 30 through Wednesday, October 9. Monetary contributions can be mailed to: The Marshall Plan, P.O. Box 332, Bethlehem, PA 18016.
**To learn more about The Marshall Plan, see photos and information about efforts to aid our military, visit www.SweetThanks4Troops.com
I hope you all enjoy your weekend!
Kait
Sweet Success… Again!
The delivery went well!
Here are a few pictures from the journey!
Here is Linda’s account of the delivery:
Our sincere thanks to everyone who donated and/or supported our 2012 Marshall Plan – another successful year! We couldn’t have done it without you!
Sgt. Zachary Johnson and Corpsman Christopher Johnson, our liasons with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, were very helpful to us in getting set up to distribute our donations on Monday, October 15. Corpsman Chris Johnson also told us some of his fascinating and hair-raising experiences as a medic in Iraq and Afghanistan and gave us insights on some of the items that deployed military members enjoy receiving in care packages – especially snack foods, protein-rich foods, energy drinks, and baby wipes. Nine-year-old Gannon, who was part of our team this year, really enjoyed hearing why tough men and women in uniform wanted baby wipes, and Corpsman Johnson enthusiastically explained this. He also taught us how to chill a can of soda or energy drink by placing it in a wet sock and hanging it where it can catch a breeze. This cools a drink down to about 70 degrees, which tastes like it’s straight from the fridge when the outside temperature is 120!
On a more serious note, being able to personally distribute some of our Tastykake and gift card donations this year was such an incredible privilege. Funny how something as simple as a box of Tastykakes could bring smiles to so many faces. Some had never had them, some had gotten them in care packages while deployed, and some related being from Philadelphia or surrounding area hometowns and having grown up with them. They were very happy with the variety we had to offer and the opportunity to try new flavors!
We were able to speak with (and shake hands with) so many wounded warriors – male and female – and with their parents and spouses as well. We heard stories that inspired and humbled us, and many that gave us chills and brought tears to our eyes. One mother told us of her daughter who’d been shot five times. Another mom’s son had stepped on an IED that was intentionally detonated when someone saw him approach it. Both moms were told their children would probably not make it – yet over a year later, they are with us and doing fairly well. A mom and dad accepted some Tastykakes for their son who was in surgery as we spoke. Other parents told us of being at Walter Reed to celebrate their son’s 25th birthday – something they didn’t think he would see when he came to the Medical Center earlier this year. One warrior with a prosthetic leg told us of the sled hockey team he’d just joined. So many – too many – were multiple amputees, some ambulating on prosthetics or with crutches, others still in wheelchairs. We saw many scars and bandages, an abundance of artificial limbs, many orthopedic devices, and a variety of mobility aids. Yet the wounded warriors we saw and spoke with always had a smile and conveyed a sense of pride and honor in being able to serve. They thanked us sincerely for the cupcakes and gift cards that seemed so insignificant compared to what we gratefully thanked them for – their service and sacrifices for our country.
– Linda Reinbold
Looks like they had a great time! Wish I could’ve been there. Thank you so much for all your support and donations! We really appreciate it! We look forward to doing this again next year! I hope you enjoy Linda’s account of the delivery and the pictures courtesy of Kari and Linda.
Kait
It’s Delivery Day!
It’s Delivery Day!!
Bob and Dad arrived in Bethesda yesterday afternoon after their 3 day 200 mile bike ride!
Tom, Kari, and Gannon Mesko picked Mom up yesterday afternoon to drive down to Bethesda with the Tastykakes.
They were scheduled to drop off the Tastykakes around 10am this morning at a loading dock at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and now they are set up and passing out the boxes of Tastykakes to wounded warriors! So cool! What an awesome experience that must be! Wish I could be there with them! They just met a couple whose son was recently injured similar to Marshall’s injury.
We collected roughly the same amount of Tastykakes as last year (1600) and we exceed our monetary donations from last year! We raised $10k! Woo hoo! We bought about $8k worth of gift cards to hand out to wounded warriors as well and the rest of the monetary donations will be donated to an organization that helps out wounded warriors.
I wish I could’ve been there today to be a part of this awesome moving experience!
Here are some pictures I want to share with you!
Donated Tastykakes!
More donated Tastykakes!
The Tastykakes delivered to Walter Reed!
Getting ready to pass out Tastykakes!
Thank you all for your support! We really appreciate it! Thanks for helping us support and thank our wounded warriors!
Kait
Here We Go…!
Lots going on lately!
I unfortunately will not be able to attend the delivery this year partly because I am so far away in NC now and because of work. However, I’ve been able to help out from afar, which has been great.
Luckily, I was able to get home to PA over Columbus Day weekend, so I had some time to catch up and see what all was going on with the Marshall Plan. We had a few days where we had close to 20 envelopes in the PO Box, which was awesome! We’ve had a handful of monetary donations come in via PayPal as well. Lots of Tastykakes too! It was nice to actually be there for a few days to see what’s happening!
We have roughly the same amount of Tastykakes as last year! Yay! And I believe we will exceed the amount of monetary donations we received last year as well! Awesome!
Mom will be purchasing all the gift cards soon.
While the Tastykake drive has ended, you can still donate money by sending a check or cash to: The Marshall Plan, PO Box 285, Bethlehem, PA 18016. Or.. you can donate via Paypal – check out our donate page on how to do that.
The bike ride from Bethlehem to Bethesda started this morning. Dad and Bob hit the road! They’ll arrive in Bethesda on Sunday!
I’m pumped! What another great year of the Marshall Plan, but you can still help out to make it even better!!
Kait
Donations, The Express-Times, and a Love Story…
Great news! We have some donations coming in and our Tastykake drive starts on Monday, Oct. 1! Please donate!
Yesterday, I spoke with 2 local newspapers: The Express-Times and The Morning Call. The Express-Times published an article about us on their website this morning! Here’s the link: Tastykake drive for troops kicks off Monday. The Morning Call will be publishing an article about us on their website shortly and will publish it in their newspaper on Tuesday!
I’m sure many of you have seen this true American love story gone viral. I’ve seen it all over the internet lately and I love it. Here are the 22 pictures that share Taylor Morris and Danielle Kelly’s truly inspiring love story. This is what true love is. A Love Story in 22 Pictures.
It’s true what they say, a picture really does speak 1000 words.
To add to the 22 pictures of that wonderful story, here’s an article from The Huffington Post about Taylor and Danielle, AND a video of them dancing together. It’s too great to not share. Taylor Morris, Quadruple Amputee, Dances with Girlfriend Danielle Kelly (VIDEO)
9/11, Suicide Prevention Month
Hey all!
All our donation info is up! You can send checks to: The Marshall Plan, PO Box 285, Bethlehem, PA 18016. You can donate via PayPal (see button below), or you can drop off boxes of Tastykakes from October 1, 2012 to October 10, 2012 at any of these Team Capital Bank locations:
1901 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18104
2151 Emrick Boulevard
Bethlehem, PA 18020
4285 West Tilghman Street
Allentown, PA 18104
It’s crazy to think that it’s been over 11 years since 9/11/01. I remember it just like yesterday, as I’m sure most people do who were old enough to understand something major and awful was going on when it happened. I hope to someday get a chance to visit the Freedom Tower and the memorial in NYC. My mom, Linda, and my sister, Meg, were just there recently. Here’s a picture from their visit:
We will never forget. Our thoughts and prayers are and will always be with those affected by the events of that day.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is a serious issue. It shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please,seek help. Here are some ways from the Wounded Warrior Project to help yourself or a loved one: September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
Here’s a story of how true love always survives: Marine Couple Overcomes Combat Wounds
Don’t forget to donate!
Kait
Press Release 2012
What a great way to celebrate our 100th post… Here’s our new press release for The Marshall Plan 2012!
THE MARSHALL PLAN COLLECTING TASTYKAKES AND DONATIONS FOR US TROOPS
Lehigh Valley, PA, September 2012 – When Kaitlin Reinbold’s Marine boyfriend was stationed in Afghanistan in 2011, she sent care packages to remind him of home. Tastykakes were the most popular items with the Marines, particularly with one named Marshall, who had never had them before. In June 2011, Marshall was severely injured by an I.E.D. He endured surgeries, rehabilitation and physical therapy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Marshall’s story inspired Bob Price, a friend of Kaitlin’s family, with an idea: show wounded warriors our gratitude and respect by delivering boxes of Tastykakes to Walter Reed. “The Marshall Plan” came together. Bob and Dave Reinbold, Kaitlin’s father, rode on bicycles from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Bethesda, Maryland – 200 miles – followed by the Tastykakes (thanks to Tom and Kari Mesko) and the rest of the team by car a few days later.
On October 17, 2011 the team delivered 1,600 boxes of Tastykakes and more than $9,000 in monetary donations, most of which was used to purchase gift cards for wounded warriors and their families. Excess funds were donated to the USO of Metropolitan Washington in thanks for their help with logistics. The Marshall Plan was also able to send a few care packages to troops in Afghanistan. Marshall, the marine for whom the program is named, is hoping to return to his home and family in Arkansas in December.
The Marshall Plan succeeded because of the kindness and generosity of family members, friends and citizens of the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. Support also came from Team Capital Bank, The Tasty Baking Company and especially Lehigh Valley Tastykake Sales Distributors who were quick to respond with a generous donation.
The Marshall Plan is gearing up to repeat the drive to support our wounded troops. The delivery to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland is scheduled for October 15, 2012. Fresh Tastykakes can be dropped off at any Team Capital Bank location from Monday, October 1 through Wednesday, October 10. Monetary contributions can be mailed to: The Marshall Plan, P.O. Box 285, Bethlehem, PA 18016.
To learn more about The Marshall Plan, see photos and information about efforts to aid our military, visit http://www.SweetThanks4Troops.com
Contact: Kaitlin Reinbold
kardolfin@rcn.com
610-573-8240
Busy Brawny
Whoa… a lot has been going on lately!
Sorry if you were trying to find the site for a while and nothing was coming up! There was some confusion with WordPress, but it is all sorted out now and we are back up and running.
I apologize for the lack of updates recently. I’ve been busy lately. A handful of things were going on with work, but have slowed down for the time being. The Olympics have been on, and I have to admit, I’m a sucker for the Olympics. My parents and sister were in town visiting for about a week which was great! And most excitingly… the BF and I got engaged over the weekend! We are very excited and happy!
But, more importantly… we are aiming for our Tastykake delivery to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda either the first or second week of October! We hope you will all show your support again and help us thank a few of the many wounded warriors and their families who have served and sacrificed for our country!
I don’t know if you’ve recently seen any Brawny Towels commercials, but they are joining up to support the Wounded Warrior Project. How cool?! Brawny is making a direct donation and on top of that, for every “Like” on their Facebook page, or thank you message sent, they will donate $1 to WWP (up to $250,000) until 12/31/12. Awesome! Make sure you visit their page and “Like” them! Love seeing all the support for our service men and women!
Kait
Gratitude and Organizations
I know I mentioned before that The Marshall Plan went through the AnySoldier website to find a company, platoon, etc., to send care packages to because of the excess Tastykakes and monetary donations we received after the delivery of Tastykakes to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the USO of Metropolitan DC in October. We sent the a case of Tastykakes at the end of October and received a letter back from our contact person thanking us for the package and for our efforts supporting our troops. We continued to receive some monetary donations and even a few care package item donations after that, so we decided to send out another care package with a holiday theme to bring a little bit of the holiday spirit to a handful of our troops overseas. Last week we received another letter from our contact person thanking us again and saying how great it was to get some holiday decorations because that’s their favorite time of year and it was nice to have a little holiday cheer. So, thank you all for your donations and support. With your help we were able to make the holiday a little brighter for some of our troops who could not be home for Christmas.
I’m continually stumbling across new (to me) organizations that support the troops all the time. Here are 2 more very cool organizations that I came across over the weekend… Definitely worth checking them out!
National Military Family Association – Military families supporting military families. They speak up for them and empower them. They meet the needs of service members and their families as well by providing recommendations, innovative programs and grassroots efforts.
Pro VS GI Joe – Pro VS GI Joe uses technology to connect service men and women with professional athletes, musicians, and other celebrities to play real-time video games and connect families via webcam. They recently launched Rehabbing with the Troops which is a program that allows wounded warriors to work out with pro athletes.
Kait
Sweet Thanks for Troops: The Marshall Plan 