Military Mom Learns Not All Soldiers Receive Care Packages So She Sends 10,000 Boxes

November 30, 2017

A Wisconsin woman has sent 10,000 care packages to U.S. military personnel serving overseas.

LeAnne Boudwine / Facebook

LeAnn Boudwine has two sons in the military and had been sending them care packages in the mail. But Boudwine was upset to learn from her son that many soldiers weren’t so lucky, and never received care packages from home.

So, she began sending troops packages from her home with the help of her friends.

The operation eventually expanded into Support The Troops, a charity Boudwine started 10 years ago.

"It started small, but the more we heard how much it meant to these heroes to know that people back home had not forgotten about them, the more it keep growing and growing," Boudwine told The Daily News. "We never thought we'd still be doing it, but there are so few groups like ours that it would break our hearts to stop."

LeAnne Boudwine / Facebook

Ten years later, Support the Troops has shipped 10,000 care packages.

The organization has grown out of Boudwine’s basement, and now includes a dedicated network of volunteers — many of whom are veterans themselves.

LeAnne Boudwine / Facebook

Boudwine added that she has no intention of slowing down and plans to send care packages "for as long as I can."

"Why do we do this? Because of the letters we get," she said. "Soldiers tell us how good it makes them feel to know that we are thinking about them. I get teary just thinking about it."