JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Volunteers with CSX and Operation Gratitude teamed up Saturday morning inside the Prime Osborn Center to prepare thousands of care packages for deployed military service members.
It is a part of their biggest event of the year called “Christmas in July.”
Volunteers packed and sealed a total of 7,500 packages, which are going to military service members who are currently deployed.
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Sean Douris works for CSX and is a Marine Corps veteran. He knows what getting a box like this means.
“It is a huge morale boost,” Douris said. “You want those snacks. You want those wipes. You want that little letter from home.”
One of the people who will be on the receiving end is James Finnegan — a CSX employee and Navy reserve on a 10-month deployment in Iraq.
His family was among the volunteers making a special package for him.
“I hope what goes through his mind when he sees the box is knowing that somebody is caring for him. When he opens it up, just to see that little sense of home, that little sense of support, and it hopefully brings a smile to his face,” Finnegan’s wife, Carolyn Finnegan, said.
The packages included things like soap, different snacks, coffee, stuffed animals and even pillowcases.
This a signature event for CSX and Operation Gratitude, who will be sending the care packages to 26 different countries.
Their reps said this is a chance to spread love and let those protecting our country know they are valued.
“We are super excited. When they open that package to be like, ‘Wow, someone in the United States cares about me, took time on Saturday morning to put this package together,’” CSX Director of Community Investments Lasandra Boykin said. “We just hope that this brings them joy.”
Operation Gratitude Executive Director and President Meg Barron agreed with Boykin.
“I hope they have a little experience of home and that they know that Americans back home are thinking about them and supporting them 100%,” Barron said.
As these packages are on the way, Finnegan’s children took the opportunity to send a message to their dad:
“Happy Father’s Day and I miss you,” Billy Finnegan said.
Finnegan’s daughter, Erin, also made sure to send a message.
“We just want to say happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers out there, especially to our dad over there and Iraq and all the service men and women who are deployed,” she said.