Operation We Care
January 5, 2016
Garnett Bedenbaugh, right - husband of Gardenette Kathy Bedenbaugh, hands postage money collected by the garden club at its monthly meetings. This will help send packages to military serving overseas. According to Garnett: "The lady in the forefront is Brenda Ogden; she and her husband “run” OWC. We’re in Randazzo’s packing the King Cakes."
OPERATION “WE CARE”
Operation “We Care” (OWC) is a volunteer organization which packs boxes for men and women in the military who are serving in the Middle East. Receiving a “goodie box” from home brightens their day and reminds them that they are appreciated for their sacrifices in war time. Items in each box include razors, deodorant, candy, cookies, writing paper, foot powder, toothpaste and many other personal items which are donated by stores or school collections. Also in each box is a note about OWC and a personal letter written by school children. If a person has a relative or friend in an overseas area, they can personally pack their box and include a note.
Headed by Brenda and Joe Ogden (who had a son in Afghanistan), they organize the packing events. They also obtain names of the man or woman who will receive each package. Once a month, approximately 10-15 volunteers meet at the Fort Knox Storage Center in Covington where the goodies fill two storage units. The early bird volunteers assemble the boxes for the remaining volunteers to fill, assemble-line style. Each session begins with the Pledge of Allegiance. Not every volunteer has a service person in their family; some do it just to help out and show the troops that folks back home care about them. Typically about 100 boxes are packed and mailed each month.
Once a year, at Mardi Gras time, 500 King cakes are packaged up and forwarded overseas. Randazzo’s Bakery in Slidell donates half of the king cakes – they are fresh when they are boxed by volunteers at their bakery. Many of the recipients may not be familiar with the New Orleans tradition, but it doesn’t take long for them to eat it up; many send thank you notes to OWC, occasionally including a photo of their military friends sharing our own sweet treat.
For 2013, 2,632 packages were sent (this includes 500 king cakes and 755 pillows). OWC has to pay USPS postage on each box – it takes a very large effort to raise the money for the postage. In 2013, the postage cost was $26,860.78. Since the war began, 22,194 packages have been sent. The postage on these boxes was $ 225,528.16.
For several years before starting the practice of donating money for shipping, the Ponchatoula Gardenettes collected supplies for our service men and women for OWC. Now, the Gardenettes take up a collection for OWC rather than give a door prize at each meeting. Each hostess places money in a “flag purse” that she would normally spend on a door prize. Other members also contribute. This, along with other money raising efforts helps to send packages to the men and women in the military and show that America supports and cares for them. Garnett Bedenbaugh, husband of Gardenette Kathy Bedenbaugh, is a Navy veteran and has been volunteering for the past two years.
Operation “We Care” (OWC) is a volunteer organization which packs boxes for men and women in the military who are serving in the Middle East. Receiving a “goodie box” from home brightens their day and reminds them that they are appreciated for their sacrifices in war time. Items in each box include razors, deodorant, candy, cookies, writing paper, foot powder, toothpaste and many other personal items which are donated by stores or school collections. Also in each box is a note about OWC and a personal letter written by school children. If a person has a relative or friend in an overseas area, they can personally pack their box and include a note.
Headed by Brenda and Joe Ogden (who had a son in Afghanistan), they organize the packing events. They also obtain names of the man or woman who will receive each package. Once a month, approximately 10-15 volunteers meet at the Fort Knox Storage Center in Covington where the goodies fill two storage units. The early bird volunteers assemble the boxes for the remaining volunteers to fill, assemble-line style. Each session begins with the Pledge of Allegiance. Not every volunteer has a service person in their family; some do it just to help out and show the troops that folks back home care about them. Typically about 100 boxes are packed and mailed each month.
Once a year, at Mardi Gras time, 500 King cakes are packaged up and forwarded overseas. Randazzo’s Bakery in Slidell donates half of the king cakes – they are fresh when they are boxed by volunteers at their bakery. Many of the recipients may not be familiar with the New Orleans tradition, but it doesn’t take long for them to eat it up; many send thank you notes to OWC, occasionally including a photo of their military friends sharing our own sweet treat.
For 2013, 2,632 packages were sent (this includes 500 king cakes and 755 pillows). OWC has to pay USPS postage on each box – it takes a very large effort to raise the money for the postage. In 2013, the postage cost was $26,860.78. Since the war began, 22,194 packages have been sent. The postage on these boxes was $ 225,528.16.
For several years before starting the practice of donating money for shipping, the Ponchatoula Gardenettes collected supplies for our service men and women for OWC. Now, the Gardenettes take up a collection for OWC rather than give a door prize at each meeting. Each hostess places money in a “flag purse” that she would normally spend on a door prize. Other members also contribute. This, along with other money raising efforts helps to send packages to the men and women in the military and show that America supports and cares for them. Garnett Bedenbaugh, husband of Gardenette Kathy Bedenbaugh, is a Navy veteran and has been volunteering for the past two years.