Since 2009, the employees of Keesal, Young & Logan have donated, packed and shipped more than 100 care packages to troops on the front lines of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing a small dose of home to the men and women who protect our nation from afar.
With all items donated by employees and postage paid by the firm, each large flat rate United States Postal Service box is overflowing with contents that will bring soldiers comfort.
Bonnie Bachenheimer, a legal secretary at KYL who personally packs some of the boxes and who took a leave of absence from the firm to work with the USO in Afghanistan, summarized the various contents of the care packages.
“Girl Scout cookies,” she said, “lots and lots of Girl Scout cookies, See’s Candy, jerky, nuts, candies, crackers, cookies, pretzels, and various awesome Costco snacks. Protein powder and energy bars. Toiletries, wipes, razors, toothbrushes, wipes, chap stick, lotions, wipes, toothpaste, gum, wipes and more wipes.”
All five KYL locations–Long Beach, San Francisco, Seattle, Anchorage and Hong Kong–participate in the effort. In the four years of operation, KYL has sent care packages to Camp Virginia in Kuwait, Bagram Airfield and Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan and directly to Marines and Army troops at Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) on the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We often receive responses directly from the troops via notes that they sign or thank you posts on Facebook,” Bachenheimer said in closing.