Our Boys

Vital Stats

Matthew C

Cincinnati, OH

  • people helped1650
  • People Doing It 150

The Problem

Last Christmas, 2007, I felt as if my friend who had been recently deployed to Iraq (Marine) was slowly being forgotten. So, I wanted to provide his unit with a little Christmas cheer for the Holidays. I hoped to send them 5 boxes of essentials like deodorant, shampoo, and soap.

Plan of Action

I put up fliers in my high school, had e-mails sent out to all the parents, and I made announcements over the intercom in the mornings at school. I asked everyone to bring in some sort of gift for the soldiers; shampoo, soap, and coffee, but gifts are only part of the problem. To send all of these gifts to Iraq you have to provide the money to send them all, therefore I asked for monetary donations as well. The response was amazing! By the deadline I collected 22 boxes full of everything from Razors, to Starbucks Coffee, to large donations of soaps and shampoos from Procter and Gamble Co. Not only did I receive so many boxes full of gifts, I received more than enough money to send all the boxes. With that money I made a $200.00 donation to the Yellow Ribbon Support Center. I contacted the parents of our late American Hero Sgt. Matthew Maupin and they helped me to send all the boxes over to Iraq. They also agreed to send any other gifts made in my friends name, Lance Corporal Thomas Himebaugh, for free.

Project Updates

I recently saw my friend, Lance Coporal Thomas Himebaugh, because he is on leave for the next two weeks. He said that since last Christmas (2007) he has received at least one box every other week. He was so greatful! He said that some of the things, like coffee, he is able to share with some Iraqi Military Police and the Iraqi men are instantly friends with his unit. He personally has been sought out by Iraqi Military Police for his generosity and friendliness with his gifts! If this project barely accomplishes anything in the future; at least for a year, an American Marine Unit was friends with the Iraqi police. Peace is what we need and peace is what we are getting from this drive!

I recently saw my friend, Lance Coporal Thomas Himebaugh, because he is on leave for the next two weeks. He said that since last Christmas (2007) he has received at least one box every other week. He was so greatful! He said that some of the things, like coffee, he is able to share with some Iraqi Military Police and the Iraqi men are instantly friends with his unit. He personally has been sought out by Iraqi Military Police for his generosity and friendliness with his gifts! If this project barely accomplishes anything in the future; at least for a year, an American Marine Unit was friends with the Iraqi police. Peace is what we need and peace is what we are getting from this drive!

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