Hand To Hand Heart To Heart

HAND TO HAND~~HEART TO HEART
MAMA CINDY SOLDIER FUND
INFORMATIONAL
As of September 1, 2010 Mama Cindy's list of Soldiers has grown to over 4,000. A total of 2,925
"Care Packages",( a total of 23,509 pounds), have been shipped to Troops Stationed in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Korea, Japan, Africa and Cuba. Starbucks has donated 4,221 pounds of coffee
that has been shipped to the Troops. Mama Cindy send packages for the children in Iraq
Afghanistan and Africa. A total of 8,014 Beenie Babies have been shipped to the Soldiers
to hand out to the children in their area.

Total Income from Donations is $42,129.79. The Total Expenses is $42,147.81.
The After 50 News Readers have donated a total of $12,314.60. They Have been
supporters of the Mama Cindy Soldier Program since May 2008. They have also
donated "Truck Loads" of supplies for our Troops Overseas.

OTHER MAMA CINDY SOLDIER PROGRAMS

TRAVE COFFEE MUGS:
The Trave Coffee Mugs, I purchase for $1.00 at Dollar General. I now ship in their Starbucks Coffee
Care Packages. I fill each travel coffee mug with: drinks to go mixes, slim jims, suckers, peanuts,
and a variety of hard candy. This way, each soldier receives a variety of goodies in each coffee mug.

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS:
I fill a zip lock bag with a variety of travel size personal care items. When traveling on your vacation,
hotels have a variety of shampoos, conditioners, lotions, bar soap, sewing kits and shower caps for their
hotel customers. These are the perfect size to send to our soldiers.

POKET BIBLES:
It is my mission to put a Pocket Bible in the hands of every Soldier connected with the Mama Cindy Soldier
Program that wishes to have the Word Of The Lord At Hand. John Hobin, with Khouse, has secured the funding to
purchase the Pocket Bibles for this mission. To date, 662 Pocket Bibles have been shipped to Soldier Overseas.

UNITED THROUGH READING:
This Program Is Helping Families Unite Through Reading. The Soldier makes a DVD of them reading the Children's Book
and then the Book and DVD is shipped home to their child. This way Mom's and Dad's can read to their children back
home. I also make Rainbow Bracelets and include them in each package. Supplies:Childrens Books, DVD-R's, Bubble
Mailing Envelopes and Rainbow Beads purchased at Wal*Mart.

HAPPY MEAL SNACK BOXES:
Lakeville McDonald's donated Happy Meal Promotional Boxes with the Toys and I send them to our Troops Deployed
Overseas filled healthy snacks.

DIDDY BOXES:
My Father-in-Law was a Marine and Passed away January 10,2009. He shared stories of when he was deployed overseas.
One of his many stories was the "Diddy Box". He would receive a box with: 4 cigarettes, 1 pack of gum, 2 razors,
1 candy bar, 1 sewing kit and 5 peices of hard candy. I wanted to continue the "Program OF THE DIDDY BOX" in his
memory. I fill small boxes with goodies, seal them shut and on the outside of the box i write: To Any Soldier,
Big Hugs, Mama Cindy. I list everything that is in the box on the outside of the box for security reasons. I
can put 7 "Diddy Boxes" in a flate rate larger box. I ship them to a designated soldier to hand out to his
fellow soldiers. Even though my soldiers shre their packages, it is so nice to receive a package to open yourself.
I enclose a letter about the "Diddy Box" and pre-addresss note card so that the soldier receiving the package can
contact me. Once the connection is made, then they go on the active list and begin to receive packages until
they return home to the states. To date, 247 Diddy Boxes have been sent.

TURN YOUR SOUND ON. COOL TUNES!!!!

Picture above was created by Artist Cathy Wood.

MAMA CINDY CELEBRATES "FIVE YEARS" OF SENDING "CARE PACKAGES" TO OUR TROOPS DEPLOYED OVERSEAS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!!
Keep coming back to see all the wonderful changes.

My Unit just received some of your care packages. It is touching to me that
someone I don't know cares so much about me and my troops. Thank you for
what you do. Soldiers everywhere are proud to serve a nation of grateful
people such as yourself.
1SG Michael P. Riley ll~~Afghanistan

Mama Cindy Soldier Program
Cynthia L. Strasburg
5002 Old Bald Hill Road
Hemlock, New York 14466
(585)367-3780
Italianess47@wmconnect.com

I wanted to share with you the wonderful program I created called the Mama Cindy Soldier Program.
I began a program of sending "Care Packages" to our military men and women stationed overseas on
February 14,2005. What a perfect date! The first packages were shipped out on February 18, 2005.
It all started with one soldier in one unit and now almost five years later, this program has sent
"Care Packages" to over 4,000 soldiers in more than 250 seperate units stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan
Korea, Japan, Africa and Cuba.

In Each Package I send to a new soldier, I enclose a letter of how I was given their APO address and
that they are now adopted by Mama Cindy. I make sure to enclose information on how they can contact me
by internet or by regular mail by enclosing a pre addressed note card just incase they don't have access
to the internet. I encourage them to hand out my Mama Cindy Cards to their fellow soldiers if they would
like to be adopted by Mama Cindy. I enclose a note on who sponsored their "Care Package" with a pre
addressed note card with a pen so that they can thank their Sponsors directly.

Then, I tell them to "Make A Wish!" Each Unit has different needs and desires depending on where they are
located. It has to be smaller than a breadbox! For example, one unit asked for sardines in oil. The
sardines are high in protien and the oil was good for digestion. I was happy to grant this wish. I
also taped a package of baby wipes to each can of sardines with a note that read: Mama is taking care
of both ends! It is so important to send a bit of humor in each package.

It is now January 2010 with more soldiers being shipped overseas. I try to reach the soldiers that aren't
getting much mail and try to send them a bit of home. I call it a "Hug In A Box!" If I put it in a package
something to help a soldiers physical, mental, emotion and spiritual needs, maybe,just maybe, that soldier
will be able to complete their mission safely and return once more to their loved ones at home. So many
times they write: "It is always nice to know that someone other than family cares and thinks about us!"

The Mama Cindy Soldier Fund is always in constant need of monetary funding for shipping the packages to
the Troops. I use flat rate boxes so that shipping one package to a soldier is $12.50 no mattter how much
it weighs or where it is shipped around the world. If you would like to make a monetary donation, you can
make your checks out to Mama Cindy Soldier Program and send to Mama Cindy, 5002 Old Bald Hill Road, Hemlock
New York 14466. If you would like to donate supplies, contact Mama Cindy at (585)367-3780 for a time for
either a pick up or delivery. Your donation will be used to ship a little bit of home and comfort to those
so far from their Loved Ones.

January 2010: Donations from the After 50 News Readers: $455.50
A total of 17 packages were shipped.

February 2010: Donations: After 50 News Readers-$273.00,
Honeoye/Hemlock American Legion Post 1278-$200.00,
Dansville Home Video Customers-$24.19,
Lakeville McDonald's Customers-$22.99,
A total of 36 packages were shipped. 100 Valentine's Goodie Bags were
shipped to Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Included in
each goodie bag was a Funny Valentine Card.

March 2010: Donations: After 50 News Readers-$487.35, Lakeville Mc Donald's
Customers-$35.55, Cook's Landscaping- $30.00,
Dansville Home Video Customers-$13.40
A total of 49 packages were shipped. Easter packages
were sent to our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mama Cindy filled 150 plastic eggs with assorted
jellybeans. Included in their Easter Boxes were
jellybeans, skittles, smarties and a chocolate
cereal trail mix to give them their chocolate
fix. Mama Cindy also baked brownies and chocolate
chip cookies shipped with Starbucks Coffee to Troops in Iraq.

April 2010: Donations: After 50 News Readers-$386.00
Lakeville McDonald's Customers-$21.97
Dansville Home Video Customers-$10.35

Mama Cindy baked chocolate chip cookies
and brownies and shipped them to Units in
Iraq along with Starbucks Coffee and current
magazines to give our Soldiers a much
needed "Coffee Break".

May 2010: Donations: After 50 News Readers-$509.00
Honeoye/Hemlock American Legion-$200.00

Mama Cindy attended the After 50 News Expo
on May 12 & 13th. Their readers came out for
the two days and donated supplies, monetary
donations and purchased After 50 Support
The Troops Tee-Shirts in their "Continued
Support Of Our Troops. 'You Guys Rock!"

June 2010: Donations: United Methodist Church Of Dansville-$300.00
St. Leo The Great R.C. Church-$200.00
Honeoye/Hemlock American Legion Post 1278-$200.00
After 50 News Readers-$246.50
Di Marco Constructors/Baldwin Real Estate-$132.00

The United Methodist Church Of Dansville Members had a
Fund Drive for the Troops and Donated a Check for
$300.00 and a car load of supplies. Four Ladies delivered
the supplies and helped to pre package the items to be
shipped overseas. Thank You For The Helping Hands!

July 2010: Donations: After 50 News Readers-$269.50
A total of 49 Diddy Boxes filled with Healthy
Snacks were shipped to the Navel Personnel
aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. Another
shipment of 55 Diddy Boxes were shipped to
Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

August 2010: Donations-After 50 News Readers-$120.00
Mama Cindy's Customers-$25.00

Mama Cindy has adopted the 31st Combat
Support Hospital in Helmand Province,
Afghanistan through USMC Chaplain Major
Personal Care Packages and other Supplies
were shipped to this Unit of over 250 Staff to
help give Comfort to Staff, Wounded
Soldiers and Wounded Children (ages 3-10)
They opened this hospital 3 months ago and
"Truly" need "Our Support". The First
Shipment of Packages were shipped out on
August 31, 2010. Two days after Mama
Cindy received a request for assistance
from Chaplain Kim, "Care Packages" were
on their way!

If you would like to know more about the Mama Cindy Soldier Program from 2005-2009, go the section entilted:
You Can Make A Difference for more details.

"HAND TO HAND~HEART TO HEART"
PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE IS THE BEST GIFT ONE COULD GIVE!
A VERY THANKFUL MAMA CINDY IN THE USA!

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.