It was 2003. Five of Ronald and Mary Harper’s 10 kids and their two sons-in-law were all deployed to Iraq at the same time.

To say Mary was overcome with emotion was an understatement.

“My son who flies in the Blackhawk said, ‘You need to stop crying. We’re going to go do our job and come home,’” recalls Mary of those tense days. “I moved from being overwhelmed to thinking, ‘What can I do?’”

Sending care packages to her crew seemed like a logical step. 

“It started out trying to help our kids and their units. But very quickly we realized our kids weren’t the only ones over there and they all needed help,” said Mary, who was working full-time as a nurse when she launched Operation Shoebox.

Over the last two decades, Mary’s idea has grown into a 501(c) (3) organization that ships 800-1,000 care packages weekly and tons of supplies annually to U.S. military members stationed around the world.

The first care packages were shipped in shoeboxes, hence the organization’s name.

“When the military started letting us ship bigger boxes, we switched over to cloth bags, which are more cost effective because we can put 10 care packages in a box,” says Mary.

“We started going to local businesses to ask people to donate and would pack the boxes in my living room. Then we moved to storing supplies in units at Century Storage,” says Mary. “Joanna Fox was a volunteer from The Villages^® who found us by word of mouth. She started helping and got a volunteer group started at Pimlico Recreation Center in The Villages^®.” 

Enough volunteers joined that they outgrew that location and moved to Lake Miona Recreation Center. Today, care packagers work in two locations—The Villages^® and Belleview, where the Harpers have lived since 1995.

In addition to Villagers, volunteers from outside the community have stepped up to help, including supporters from On Top of the World, Del Webb, Stone Creek, and local area churches.

Snacks and more

Simple things make a big difference when you’re far from home. That’s the mindset behind Operation Shoebox.

Every care package includes personal care and hygiene items like baby wipes, individually wrapped treats such as crackers, cookies, granola bars, peanuts, and beef jerky. There’s also a stationery package. Any space between items is filled by decks of playing cards, socks, knit caps or little wooden cars and trucks made in The Villages® woodworking shop.

Perhaps most important, every package includes a handwritten thank you card.

“There’s a lot of support for veterans, but our troops who are deployed still need us. When they’re over there, they’re homesick for the U.S. When they get a letter in the bag telling them someone is thinking of them, it means a lot,” says Mary. “The snacks are great, but I hear all the time that the letters are the best things in the bags.”

The Harpers still have two sons and one son-in-law serving in the Army and National Guard, as well as a grandson in the Marine Corps.

Packaged with care

Proceeds from Operation Shoebox’s thrift/furniture store in Belleview are used to purchase care package contents and pay for shipping, but those funds are a drop in the bucket. The organization relies heavily on contributions, donations, and fundraisers. 

“The biggest expense is postage, but no one has come up with a solution to ship it less expensively,” says Mary, noting that postage runs between $10,000 and $12,000 per month.

“I’ve been doing this since 2007. It’s a very gratifying feeling to know you’re doing something that makes someone else happy,” says Camille Gieck, who serves as director of operations at The Villages^® location of Operation Shoebox. 

Having had three sons in the military herself, Camille fully values the passion behind Operation Shoebox.

“We get letters from people thanking us. We know what we’re doing is appreciated,” says Camille. “It’s sad to say, but I don’t think there will come a day when we don’t need to do this.”

About 250 to 300 volunteers show up every Monday at the Lake Miona location to pack goodie bags and boxes.

“They box and seal everything up and then it comes back to Belleview for shipping,” says Mary. “The Villagers have been amazing. They’re like a well-oiled machine down there!”

Camille has been a fundraising dynamo for the organization. She runs the bingo games at Lake Miona held the first Monday of every month.

“It’s always a sellout,” smiles Camille. “People love bingo. We’re allowed 262 people in that room, and I sell that many tickets every month.”

Additional fundraisers include the always popular Chinese Auction, scheduled for October 16 at Lake Miona.

Every dime from fundraisers and donations is used to purchase supplies and ship care packages.

To receive a package, troops can sign up themselves or
their families can sign them up.

352.307.6723 | operationshoebox.com