Project Mail Call

Project Mail Call's mission is to demonstrate care and support for military personnel serving overseas by sending them customized care packages with merchandise and letters of support, fine-tuned to what the military unit needs or has specifically requested. Each military unit knows who packed the care package and is provided the means to respond.

On March 5, 2016, the Rotary Club of East Cobb brought together 13 club members, 3 spouses, and 2 children to participate in a packing session culminating in 27 on-site volunteer hours. Prior to packing day, the founders of Project Mail Call, Ed and Mary Ettel, spoke to the club about the project on February 10th. Before that meeting they provided a list of needed items for club members to donate (toothbrushes, deodorant, microwave popcorn, Slim Jims, chapstick, AA or AAA batteries), and an overflowing pile of bags filled with the requested items were staged in front of the club banners for Ed and Mary to replenish supplies. More volunteer hours were contributed in purchasing and providing these requested items. Before packing day, Ed notified the club that one of the units our club would pack for had requested baseball caps with specific logos. Like a miracle, dozens of just the right caps appeared the week before and on packing day.

Twenty care-boxes were packed for 197 airmen and soldiers in military units in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait. The impact of this project is obviously far reaching.