Below are the priority items we need:
General Donation List of Items We Always Need: (Please check expiration dates as we cannot accept expired products).
Food Items
- Pouched Chicken or Tuna (2.5 oz. / individual)
- Canned Fruit (16 oz or less, no glass, no plastic fruit cups)
- Individual Cold Drink Mix (no bottles, only singles packets)
- Sandwich Crackers
- Ready to eat soup (no condensed soup)
- Granola Bars
- Fruit Snacks
- Individual Creamer Packets (Powder) / Sugar Packets
- Dehydrated, Baked, or Freeze-Dried Fruit
- Rice Krispie Bars
- Individual Trail Mix
- Crackers/Cookies (Snack Bag Size)
- Gum
- Jerky/ Slim Jim
- Pop-Tarts / Breakfast Bars
- Instant Oatmeal Packets
- Peanut Butter (28oz or less, no glass)
- Individual Hot Drinks (Hot Chocolate, Coffee Singles, Wrapped Tea Bags)
- Microwave Popcorn
- Pringles
- Individual packets of hot sauce, mustard, mayo, pickle relish
- Pancake On The Go (individual serving of pancake mix 2.11 oz cup)
Non-Food Items
- Pain Relief Medication (100 count bottles or less)
- Mouthwash (17 oz or smaller)
- Toilet Paper
- Eye Drops/ Saline Solution
- Nasal Spray
- Anti-Itch Cream
- Lotion/Body Wash/ Shampoo (16 oz or less)
- Foot Powder
- Antacids (rolls or 100 ct. or less)
- Individual Sanitizing Handi-Wipes (individually wrapped single wipes)
- Dental Flossers
- Deodorant
- Hand Warmers
- AA Batteries
- Cough Drops
- White/Black Athletic Socks
- Cotton Swabs (Q-Tips)
As the needs of the military change due to smaller and fewer bases and less area for storage, we too must adapt what we are putting in our packages. The requests are for more food items and I-Tunes cards have been expressed to us. Please see below for our current list of most needed items and note that this list does change often. If you are organizing a collection, please Click Here for our collection guideline document in Word format and be sure to contact collections@osotamerica.org prior to starting your collection. To deliver a collection to our warehouse, please contact collections@osotamerica.org for the address and to arrange a date/time for delivery. Thank you!!
Please do not donate glass items, larger sizes than listed or expired items. Please do not donate plastic fruit cups. No prepacked boxes can be accepted.
Thank you for helping us support our troops!!
Thank you for your interest in Operation Support Our Troops-America. All of the items we send to the troops are obtained through donations, so by spearheading a collection drive, you are doing vital work for our organization. There are a few guidelines to consider that will help make your collection go smoothly, and will maximize our ability to utilize everything collected.
Instructions and Tips for Collection Drives
We have found that setting a specific time period for the collection is most helpful. A two week span from the start of the drive until it is delivered to us seems to be ideal. For our planning purposes, we would ask that you advise us of the beginning and end dates of your drive.
After several years of packing and sending boxes, we have devised an efficient system of sorting the items and packing the boxes that we send to the troops. For this reason, we ask that items should not come to us already assembled into premade “care packages” or “bagged assortments”. It is not necessary for you to sort anything…the items can be delivered to us “as is” and we will take care of the rest. If you absolutely feel the need to give the items to us in some orderly fashion, they can be roughly sorted into “food” and “nonfood” groups.
Besides collecting donated goods, we also welcome letters to the troops. Every care package includes at least one letter from a citizen, and these letters are highly prized by their recipients. Consider having your drive include the collection of letters to the troops. Since we send to every branch of the military, and not all military personnel are called “Soldiers”, we prefer the more generic greeting of “Dear military member” in the letters. Please do not seal the letters. The letters do not require postage and if you would like the individual that receives your letter to possibly write back, include your name and address.
When your drive is over, we ask that you contact us at collections@osotamerica.org to arrange a time to drop off the items at our Lisle warehouse.
Once again, thank you for the time and energy you will be putting into your collection drive. OSOT-America could not continue our mission without the help of individuals such as you.
Operation Support Our Troops-America
1807 S. Washington St.
Suite 110, #359
Naperville, IL 60565
630-971-1150