Top tips to personalize your care packages

November 08, 2021

By: Maria McConville, MS, RDN, CPT*

As a military spouse and now a military mom of 3 Soldiers, my family and I have seen our share of deployments. Sending care packages to my loved ones has been an uplifting yet emotional activity for me. It’s my way to stay connected to my husband and kids. Individualized care packages help to lessen the physical divide between us while letting them know I’m thinking of them. Sending special items shows that I’m grateful for their service and that of their fellow Soldiers. Sharing and trading of care-package goodies is a regular activity amongst teammates. If I send something they can’t use or don’t want, someone else surely will!

I compare crafting a personalized care package to picking out a thoughtful and meaningful gift for someone special. I’m not sure that I’ve gotten the care packages right 100% of the time, but there are a few things I learned and believe are worth passing along.

  • Avoid sending chocolate and other foods that can easily melt in hot environments.
  • Wrap liquids, creams, and gels (shampoo, lip balm, sunscreen, and hand sanitizer) in plastic bags.
  • Send items that can’t be ordered online by the Military Service Member and shipped overseas to P.O. boxes.
  • Homemade baked goods might not be edible by the time care packages are received, although crispy marshmallow squares seem to hold up well.
  • Mail and packages might be held in outlying areas and only delivered weekly or monthly.
  • Send gift cards for Wi-Fi connection. Wi-Fi might be available for purchase, but it can be costly.
  • Include self-addressed, stamped envelopes for your loved one to write back to you as stamps and envelopes might be inaccessible.

I learned from my husband not to send things he’d have to cart home at the end of the deployment. Anything I send either has to be used, eaten, discarded, or passed on to someone else at the end of the rotation. Military Service Members’ packs are heavy with equipment, supplies, and uniforms. And everything they bring home has to be self-carried or sent in tuff boxes or crates that might not be seen for months.

My husband’s favorite (and much appreciated!) items include razor blades, socks, new pillowcases, foot powder, coffee, and non-perishable snacks, along with the personal stuff like cards and letters. Our two sons really treasured food items that they couldn’t get during deployments such as beef or turkey jerky, protein powder, banana chips, kale chips, nuts, gum, and mints.

Healthy snacks were especially hard to come by and therefore ideal to send. Non-food items such as playing cards, crossword puzzles, and board games could be shared and also helped build camaraderie with their teammates.

During our daughter’s deployments, her work shifts often ended after the dining facility was closed and access to food was limited. Because she’s allergic to soy products, I scoured grocery stores to find non-perishable items that she could safely eat and that could replace a missed meal. I sent small cans or packs of tuna, peanut butter, 3- or 4-ingredient meal-replacement bars, nuts, and individual servings of oatmeal, jerky, and smoked salmon.

She also appreciated lavender satchels and other pleasant-smelling items for her room and office. Satchels are great because candles can melt in shipping and are a fire hazard, and scented plug-ins might not be voltage-compatible. She enjoyed coloring books and sketch pads along with colored pencils (crayons can melt) to use in her free time too. In her care packages, I always included photos of her and our family from her younger days as they brought her happy memories.

Sending personalized care packages to my loved ones helps “the heart grow fonder” during their absence and allows me to feel part of their mission and deployment. It lets them know they’re never far from my thoughts no matter the distance between us.

About the Author

Maria McConville, of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, is a Senior Nutrition Health Educator for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of USUHS or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.

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