JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — First Coast News is proud to share the Stories of Service of the brave men and women who wear the uniforms of our armed forces. In this week's Stories of Service, we're shining a light on an organization that hopes to send a tasty message to troops stationed overseas.
It started as a message to her neighborhood when Amy Howell wanted to send a care package to her husband while he was deployed in the Middle East during the pandemic.
"It was around Halloween and I just said, 'If you have any extra candy, I can toss in to fill some of the boxes,' and the community came through big time," said Howell.
The community came through way bigger than she planned.
"We came through with an entire pallet worth of personal care items and treats," said Howell, who sent them to her husband who was serving on a ship in the Red Sea at the time.
Needless to say, Justin Howell, who served in the Navy as a Petty Officer 1st Class and moved to the reserves after 12 years of active duty, received so much candy that he had to share with his shipmates.
"Getting a care package from home, especially from your family and loved ones, reminds you of why you're doing what you do," said Justin.
A nice gesture turned into "Treats for Troops." The organization organizes care packages that include cards drawn by local children and then delivers them to the USO, which then sends them to members of the military scattered across the planet, giving back, one sweet treat at a time; it's in its third year and is in conjunction with the Howells real estate business, O.N.E. Florida Group.
This year, there are more than 12 boxes at businesses and neighborhoods spread throughout Duval and St. Johns counties, which is convenient for parents who are hoping to "unload" some of their kids' excess Halloween candy.
"It's nice that they have donation drop boxes in a lot of the master-planned communities, so they can run down, drop it off and get it out of their house," Amy told First Coast News. "It's a win-win all around."
Treats for Troops will begin boxing up their care packages Monday, Nov. 18, but is always happy to accept donations to send to military members through the USO.
"One of the things I missed getting out of active duty was being a part and trying to support junior servicemembers and this is an even better way honestly," said Justin.
More information about Treats for Troops can be found on their website here. If you have a Story of Service that you would like First Coast News to profile, send an email to storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.