The SSA will prepare care packages for immediate family members of UH-Clear Lake faculty and staff. Immediate family members include: spouse, son, daughter, grandchild, brother, sister, niece or nephew.

SSA will address the packages to the service member using the return address of the family member from UH-Clear Lake to make sure no military violations occur. SSA will also pay for the postage costs.

Debbie McFadden, executive secretary in the School of Science and Computer Engineering, is chairing the campaign and helped form a committee to collect and package the items in need.

"Quite a few of us wanted to do something," McFadden said. "We [the University] stand behind our employees during a crisis. We thought this would be a good thing to do. We sent out a mass e-mail letting faculty and staff know about the list of items and drop-off locations."

Toiletries, snacks and reading materials are among the items on the list. There is a drop-off location on each floor of the Bayou Building, one location in the Arbor Building, one in the Delta Building, and one in the Facilities and NOA Buildings.

"My son is in the U.S. Army," said Jeanne Cumpian, procurment specialist II from the purchasing department. "He loves to get letters or just cards. I think it is wonderful that the UH-Clear Lake family has taken on this project to send packages to them. They really look forward to any kind of communication or packages with just junk food. Some of the guys and gals have no family members who can afford to send anything to them. When someone gets a letter, after they read it, they share it with someone who did not get any mail. [Care] packages are like opening a gift at Christmas, and not one package is the same."

McFadden understands the importance of care packages, but also the expense of collecting items and sending them.

"My son was in the Marines for eight years," McFadden said. "I know they really enjoy the care packages they receive, and that was one reason I wanted to do something like this. Being a mother, you know that sending care packages is important."

Sandy Jennings, administrative secretary in the Office of the Dean for the School of Business and Public Administration, also understands the importance of care packages.

"I volunteered to participate in this effort because I know the importance of service personnel receiving mail and knowing that people back home support what they are doing," Jennings said. "I like to imagine their faces and their emotions when they receive the box and see the contents. Donations will be accepted as long as we have service people over there from our UH-Clear Lake family."

For more information about the care package item list and drop-off locations, contact Debbie McFadden at (281) 283-3703.

Top of Page | Front Page