Jun 2, 2010 5:06 pm US/Eastern
Brotherly Love: American Troop Support Team
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan might have faded for some people, but not for the people who are reaching out to soldiers. They're doing his mission of mercy right here in the Delaware Valley.
Inside a storage unit in Newtown Square, Joe Natale and his volunteers call themselves the American Troop Support Team.
"Can we start with more food?" Joe asks. "Yeah, sure," his team responds.
They're filling boxes for soldiers with a little bit of home. Make that a lot of home! These boxes are stuffed with magazines, gum, snacks, food, toiletries -- more than we can list.
"Some of it's silly, some of it's fun, and some of it is actually necessary," said Natale.
Volunteer Nick D'Annunzio says they do it to "show love and thanks to the troops for what they're doing for us."
Joe Natale has been organizing these care boxes for nearly six years. Everything's either donated or paid for through donations.
"He must put in 20, 30, 40 hours a week on this," said volunteer Jack Meighan. "It's amazing."
"It's his baby," agrees Susan Koss. She's is a military mom. Her son and his fellow soldiers have their missions. She has hers right here.
"This is nothing. They deserve the world. They deserve the moon," said Koss. "And this is the least people can do."
Lori Widdop knows what a care package can do for a soldier. Her nephew was serving overseas.
"I actually gave him my nephew's name," said Widdop. "He sent him out a package although it was the first time we ever met, and I've been a supporter ever since."
Supporters even hear back. Some soldiers send letters and photos, like a picture of soldiers enjoying Silly String.
Joe and the team have sent 700 boxes so far.
"Do we want the war to end? Yeah, of course," said Natale. "But we're going to continue to do this as long as they're over there."
Related Link:
American Troop Support Team -
www.americantroopsupportteam.com
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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