Names and contact information for military members with ties to Greater Hazleton who are serving the country overseas are currently being accepted as part of the 15th annual Operation: CAN DO drive.
The CAN DO Student Action Committee spearheads the annual program that creates and ships care packages to military members with ties to Greater Hazleton who will be stationed abroad for the holidays.
The public is encouraged to submit the names of service members so packages can be sent to them for the holidays.
The Student Action Committee conducts the annual drive with assistance from members of Freeland American Legion Post 473, who package the items and ship them abroad.
“Due to security reasons, military recruitment offices are no longer able to supply us with contact information, so gathering names and addresses has become difficult in the past few years,” said Nancy Staskod, CAN DO’s director of administration and Student Action Committee co-adviser. “However, the response we received from the community last year was overwhelming and that’s why we’re reaching out again to let everyone know that we are accepting the names and contact information so we can honor these military members with a care package this holiday.”
To share the names and contact information of servicemen and servicewomen with ties to Greater Hazleton, email Stasko at nstasko@hazletoncando.com or mail the information to Operation: CAN DO, 1 S. Church St., Suite 200, Hazleton, PA 18201.
Student Action Committee members kicked off this year’s campaign last month when they sent letters to area schools and businesses requesting goods or monetary donations.
Items for the Operation: CAN DO drive will be collected through Oct. 28 at schools throughout Greater Hazleton, at the CAN DO offices at 1 S. Church St., Hazleton, every Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at the Arc Electric offices at 123 Warren St., West Hazleton.
All donations collected by Monday, Oct. 28, will be transported to the Freeland American Legion on Nov. 7 where they will later be packaged for shipping overseas.
Individuals and businesses wishing to participate by making a monetary donation are asked to make checks payable to Operation: CAN DO and send them to Operation: CAN DO, c/o Nancy Stasko, 1 S. Church St., Suite 200, Hazleton, PA 18201.
For more information, call CAN DO at 570-455-1508.
The Student Action Committee is made up of local high school students who are appointed to serve as nonvoting members of the CAN DO board of directors.
The CAN DO Student Action Committee also coordinates the annual CAN DO Community Christmas celebration, which will be held Dec. 4 at Christ Lutheran Church, Hazleton.
