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Please continue to pray for our Troops who are in harms way Updated April 4, 2008 ~ I was informed that we need a personal contact along with this mailing address or we cannot send items. Unfortunately, our last soldier, Master Sargeant Foster, turned the project over to someone else when he left and did not give us a contact person, just a mailing address as he felt this would be fine. The US Post Office will not send items without a specific contact person so this project is once again on hold... Meanwhile, please send items to: www.beaniesforbaghdad.com/  I  Here are some soldiers handing out bags of gently used clothes to families. From John, Jan 23, 2008 - The knitted hats, gloves, blankets and baby boots are greatly needed and greatly appreciated. The VCR program is running strong, more and more donations come in each week, more and more knitted items made by great folks like you. Thank you very very much The new mailing address
would be (DO NOT SEND ITEMS TILL WE GET A SOLDIER CONTACT HERE
PLEASE!) VCR Program CSTC-A , Pool House APO AE 09356 They
need quilts,
and blankets all sizes, but double would be
great, all sizes of hats, scarves,
warm mittens and gloves, socks,
booties,
and sweaters, for many families. Also needed are
gently used or new SHOES (they have a great need for these) or boots, gently used
coats, sweat pants, sweat shirts, t-shirts, dresses, etc. all sizes and teddy bears,
dolls, or beanie babies for the little ones would be welcome!
You could also send soap, hard candies, and gum for our troops to eat
or hand
out as well as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, clean magazines,
crossword puzzles etc. (scroll down for more troop items) Nov 2007 letter from Master Sargeant Foster - Thank you again for
PLEASE do not expect a response from the soldiers. Items can be sent immediately to our soldiers here: VCR Program CSTC-A , Pool House APO AE 09356 December 1, 2007 "...on your site please advise the kind folksLastly MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, your family and all the wonderful folks that have been so supportive of this mission and the children of Afghanistan. GOD BLESS Respectfully John D. Foster, MSG, USA #################################################################################  See any of items you made here? Most are from our readers! Pretty scarves, hats and slippers!  I love the smile on this little girl's face as the soldier explains about the erasers for her pencils! Delightful photo!  Can you see a hat or slippers you made on this table? I can see one of the hats I made - so fun! These are from boxes I mailed.   
"Hi All!
This is great
stuff! I look forward to getting these
items and distributing them out.
All the items
listed below will be very much appreciated.
Thanks again
very much.
BTW...the
refugee camp that is near our base, is populated by over 150
families...not just adults. This is where a majority of the
donations
I am getting is going. There are other agencies that help support
the
orphanges (us too!), so we concentrate on those places that are in the
most need.
Thanks again
and God Bless for all your generosity. This is
what Christmas is all about!!!
Steve"
Hats needed from newborn to
senior sizes
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/baby.html#NEWBORNS-hats http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/sa.html#child%20hat http://www.royea.net/funkyhat.html http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/knit-beanies.html http://tiajudy.com/simplestcap.htm http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/4054/tthelmet.htm http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/double-hat.html http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/freeKnittingPattern_hat.asp http://www.p2designs.com/images/patterns/HatSlStch.html Mittens http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bev-hat-mitts.html http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bevs-marvelous-mitts.html http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/2-needlemitts.html http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/loomed-mitten.html http://www.geocities.com/missmarlad/warmsnugglymittens.html http://knitting.about.com/library/blmittens3.htm http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/cwec-mittens.html http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/kwec-2NeedleMittens.html Blankets http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/5-daylovie.html http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/cjif-5.html http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/cp2.html http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/fleece-blanket.html http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bevs-old-blanket.html Sweaters http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/aunt-bs-basic-sweater.html http://extrastellar.net/cjs_crochetedfunfurjacket.html http://www.geocities.com/lindaslists/babysweaterfront.htm http://www.coatsandclark.com/fun_and_free/knit_out_2003/lw1373.htm http://www.yarnforward.com/cottagecountry.html http://www.io.com/%7Ecortese/crafts/raglan.html http://www.geocities.com/joyjannotti/babycardiganpattern.html Socks http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/quicksocks.html http://www.crochetandknitting.com/socks.htm http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/kp2.html http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/cwe-socks.html And for our troops! The troops over there would love to receive a few things, even though they don't ask me for them. Whey protein powder Please do NOT send religious tracts or books, or of course anything that could be considered porn. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In recent days it has been brought to my attention that some of you expect to hear from our contact person when items are received. PLEASE do not expect this as most of these troops are extremely busy, working 18+ hours a day and they don't all have email access very often. They appreciate all items sent there, but it is not physically possible to acknowledge receipt of all of the boxes. Thanks, Bev Qualheim ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MAILING RULES (Do NOT send items to me, do not send me money for this. PLEASE send all handmade and storebought warm items to Steve directly! Thanks!! Bev ) * If you live outside of
the USA, please
send items
to the above
address but
please add 'USA' after the address as it is a United States Armed
Forces address.
* Do NOT send insured or registered. * Larger boxes may need a customs declaration - please be sure to list items as handmade baby clothes and check the GIFT box on the form so they don't have to pay customs on items. * Form 2976-A is required for all mail weighing 16 ounces or more * SInce this is a United States Armed forces address, postage will cost the same as maling a box in the USA (if you live in the USA) From reader Carol in MO: "My grandson was stationed over there (in Afghanistan) last winter and he said it was soooo cold and that many children and adults died because of the cold. There are people who live north of Kabul in cardboard houses, if they even have that. I sent over a bunch of hats to my grandson and he gave them to the Marines that went off base. He was not off base too much so he gave his buddies. My grandson said there was times he even had on 3 to 4 pairs of socks trying to keep his feet warm and dry. So if anyone has time to make hats, scarves, etc, please do so. It could save a life of a child." ************************************************************************************************************************************** A
few cultural rules:   Sgt Speer sent this most recent photo on the right. The little boy was "hit in the belly with some type of shrapnel when he found some type of unexploded device."
 
  Photos from Sgt Katrina Speer A letter from Capt Robert Heath... (Dec 2005) "I would like to thank everyone for participating in this great program. It has been very successful. I regret that we cannot send letters or thank you to everyone that sends items. But, know that your gifts are much appreciated by the people that receive them. Especially now that winter is upon us. In our small medical facility here, we give out the knitted caps, scarves and gloves to the many Afghan children we treat here. Many of whom do not have those warm comfort items. It really brings a smile to their faces. We also use the knitted caps on injured or post-operative patients when we fly them by military MEDEVAC helicopters to larger medical facilities. The flight is very cold as the helicopters negotiate the high mountain passes, which now have snow on them. The knitted caps definitely help to keep their heads warm during the flight. I will be leaving Afghanistan in the next few months. But, I would like to continue this program. I have provided Bev the name and contact of the person that will continue to receive items here for me. This has been a great program that Bev started for me in Iraq and that has continued to my time in Afghanistan. It is successful because of you, the great people back home who take the time to contribute. Thank you again for the great support." Doc Heath   Here is a hat I made up that I have been sending. I can get one done in a couple of hours.
Since it is summer over there right now, Cool Ties for the troops would be welcome, as well as toys for the children. Our soldiers love to hand out toys and hard candy to the little ones. Summer items for spring months and summer ITEMS NEEDED: Summer- light weight fleece or flannel blankets, little t-shirts (NEW PATTERN created for this project!), newborn onsies and such. It's HOT there! Beanie Babies, teddy bears, bunnies, dolls, for the children, or hard candy (no chocolate please, as it will melt).  ATTN: Teachers! If you are a teacher, the TROOPS over there LOVE to get drawings and photos from the kids here! You can send those to Capt Heath too, and he will distribute them. This little girl just had her broken arm set by Capt Heath, and she is holding a teddy bear and photo of some school kids who sent it to her, another great idea-- collect some gently loved stuffed animals and take photos of the kids and send those for our troops to hand out. The kids really love to get things like that, and I imagine it really helped her feel better about that broken arm. PHOTOS
taken by Captain Heath when he was stationed in Iraq Beautiful Thank you Certificate from the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion (airborne), 508th Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. And take a look
at what Marilyn
in CA made
for the babies on her knitting machine!
Idea inspired by http://www.anysoldier.com |
Bev's
Newborn Brimless Baby Ribs Hat