Christmas Drive for Canadian Soldiers

My little family has lived in Canada since 2007. We’re embracing all things Canadian, with all the loveliness and quirkiness, and my husband is enjoying living in his home country for the first time instead of being a USA Green Card holder in a “foreign country.”

In my new life here, I’ve learn a tremendous amount about what it means to be Canadian, and have discovered a new appreciation for the value and respect for one’s citizenship. A day like today, Remembrance Day, has a particularly special meaning for me as with each passing year I’ve witnessed the respect for and honor of soldiers that Canadians give. I have found within myself a profound respect for the soldiers of my own country, specifically one soldier with whom I am very close.

My younger brother has served in the US military since he was 18 years old. For the last 22 years, he’s designed his education and career within the military, venturing into and out of the political scene in Washington DC. We’re very close, he’s an uncle to my two children, and they love learning about the life of soldiers, singing two national anthems, and flying two flags. On a day like today, my children watch the ceremonies honoring Canadian soldiers, and they think of their fun, goofy, loving uncle. And I think of my little brother.

Last month, my brother left for Afghanistan, for what I hope is just 4 months. He’s somewhere, doing something. And that’s all I’m able to know. He’s an American soldier “over there” but, really, it doesn’t matter that he’s American. What matters is that he’s “over there”. Like the many Canadian soldiers who are also “over there”  other uncles, brothers, sisters, aunts, moms and dads, sons and daughters.

This Remembrance Day, we at Culinarium are launching a drive to support Canadian soldiers overseas.  We’d like to send them packages from home, useful things that help make their everyday a little more “normal” and comfortable, just a small gesture to say thank you for their sacrifice, one that we all benefit from, world wide.

Good things to send are:

• Baby wipes – these are very useful, especially for toilet paper and having a “bath” when no water is present.
• Lip Balm
• Toiletries of every kind – body wash, shampoo and conditioner, hand lotion, deodorant, after shave cream, shave cream, razors, girlie toiletries too as women do deploy as well!  Good foot powder and foot cream
• Novels – action, sci-fi or mystery
• Pocket sized note pads and pencils
• Gum
• Listerine mouth strips
• toothpaste and tooth brushes
• Crystal Light – Individual size for putting into water bottles.
• Sun screen and after sun lotion

To join us in our efforts to support and honor, Canadian soldiers simply drop off any of these items (or anything else you might like to include) and any messages you might like to send, to Culinarium. On Dec 10^th we’ll send off a big package to our soldiers just in time for the holidays.