Care packages send a little of the Eastern Sierra to troops

The Mammoth Troops Committee will have another one of its “packing nights” on Tuesday, March 22, at 6 p.m. in the Mammoth Lakes Community Center. The volunteers box up a variety of goodies from home — everything ranging from letters to home-baked cookies to The Sheet — for Mono County’s 25 or so servicemen and women currently deployed in the armed forces all over the globe. The committee said lots of items are needed, including sunscreen, lip balm, energy bars, and odds and ends such as beef jerky, pepperoni, nuts, granola bars, gum and hard candy. “The soldiers really enjoy receiving letters from local kids and colored pictures and photos,” the committee said.

All volunteer help is welcome, and donations can be dropped off ahead of time at Mammoth Reservations, next to Schat’s on Main St. Money to help with shipping is also needed. Send checks to Mammoth Troops, P.O. Box 2063, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546.

“We thank our community for all its help and support (financial and otherwise),” the committee said. “Without your help, we couldn’t send out these boxes of encouragement to our loved ones serving,”

Questions/volunteer info: contact Tim Standifer at 760.935.4777, Lanie Somers at 760.935.4422 or Darla Howley at 760.934.7201.