Summer Tissue couldn’t believe her brother, a Marine serving in Iraq, had to buy his own basic supplies such as toiletries and socks. Tissue’s initial concern four years ago developed into “Military Connections.”
“I remember when she would stand in my line with 30 boxes,” said acting Bethel Park Postmaster Debra Breauninger. “Now she’s mailing hundreds at a time.” During the course of a year, more than 4,000 soldiers, in all branches of the military, receive care packages from Tissue and other volunteers.
Tissue recently enlisted the help of 80 St. Joan of Arc Church youth group members to help pack, seal and label 500 Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes destined for Iraq.
“Everything is donated, even the postage,” Tissue said. “We use Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes. That way we always know exactly how much postage we need to ship the boxes to Iraq. APO and FPO military mail is sent for the same price as shipping to anywhere else in the United States.
“I have a growing database of soldiers’ names. They send me requests for things they need and can’t get where they are and we fill their requests,” she said. “We’re showing them someone back home cares.”