Hugs from home

SUPPLIES FOR TROOPS- Volunteers prepare to ship care packages filled with personal items to U.S. servicemen and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. When the $400 a month shipping cost became too expensive for the Thousand Oaks Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center joined in to help pay postage for the RSVP's effort.

Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, in partnership with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, is supporting the "Hugs from Home" project that sends donations of food, snacks, personal items and entertainment gifts to military troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The list of approved donations includes beef jerky, trail mix, protein bars, Sudoku and other puzzle books, lip balm, hand sanitizer, phone cards and dry fruit snacks. The volunteers also knit hats in the winter and "cool ties" in the summer, which help the troops deal with the extreme temperatures of the region.

With 50 boxes a month being shipped to troops overseas, at a total cost of more than $400 per month, the shipping costs have become too much for the volunteer group. The hospital has pitched in to pay for the postage, so the program is ensured to continue for as long as necessary.

For more information or to make a donation for the project, call director Cindy Powers at (805) 381-2742.