Volunteers Needed For Annual Event To Make 2,500 Cards For Troops

Jeri Fontana started Cards for the Troops as a project with a military spouse support group when she moved to Valrico from Colorado in August of 2007. She has been in the Army and has been deployed twice; her husband is currently active duty, but not deployed, so she understands the meaning of getting a handwritten card in the mail.
When she moved to Atlanta, when her husband was stationed there, she contacted Deborah Kyle to take over her annual Cards for the Troops event.
Fontana and Kyle are both demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!, a rubber stamp company, which has expanded to include accessories for handmade cards, scrapbooking, craft projects and home décor.
The Third Annual Cards for the Troops event will be held at the Campo Family YMCA, located at 3414 Culbreath Rd. in Valrico on Saturday, October 16, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Kyle and Tammy Holmberg, the co-owner of Chick-fil-A at Lake Brandon Village, are planning on making 3,000 cards to send to the troops this year. It costs approximately $1 to make a card, for an envelope and to mail the card oversees.
Kyle contacted the Military Committee through the Brandon Chamber in order to obtain more names of troops from this area who would be willing to receive and pass out the cards she makes.
“So, if anyone with a friend or family member would like to provide us their soldier’s address, we’d love to send card packs to them,” she encouraged.
Approximately 100 cards will be sent to each overseas unit whose addresses are obtained. The soldier contact then disperses the cards throughout his/her troop. The troops do not have to be in a war zone, simply overseas.
 “Hallmark isn’t readily available to our troops overseas, especially those in war zones,” Kyle said.
Major sponsors for this event are Chick-fil-A at Lake Brandon Village, the Osprey Observer, Campo Family YMCA, Brandon South Rotary, Platinum Bank, The Community Roundtable and Stampin’ Up!
Sponsors are still needed to provide food and beverages for the volunteers and tax-deductible monetary donations.
Child care will be provided for children under the age of 12. “We’re asking that groups of people coming to stamp let me know so that we can accommodate their needs, including child care,” she said.
For more information on Cards for the Troops, please contact Kyle at 689-5953 or debikyle2009@yahoo.com or Holmberg at 727-0749 or hpaul6@tampabay.rr.com.