American Legion Post 125 supports a lot of veterans issues and we also support some active duty causes. Grandma Mary’s Cookie Mission is one of those missions we support. Here is a quick update on Mary’s Mission in Mary’s own words:
“My mission began when my Grandson left boot camp and began school at Great Lakes Naval Base. Even though he was just a few miles from home (Kenosha, WI), I wanted to make sure that he and his buddies had something to eat and snack on over the weekends. And so began The Mission.
In the beginning, the boxes were large and filled with cookies, popcorn, and anything that I could find in the store that was healthy. I even found hummus with chips that didn’t need to be refrigerated. But after he was deployed, I found out that the sailors on his floor were forlorn that they would not longer be the recipients of the Grandma Box that came every week. I joking told the recruiters that if they sent me the names and addresses of Sailors that would like a box of homemade cookies, I would make sure they got one.
And that’s how Grandma Mary’s Cookie Mission began. Nearly one year later, I am the proud Grandma Cookie sender to fourteen Sailors. Each Sailor gets a box of one dozen each of five different types of cookies, popcorn, snack bags, candy, chap stick, Kleenex packs and anything else that will fit in the box. Each Sailor gets a personal letter ( 1 to 2 pages typed) a handwritten note, Legion magazine, local Legion newsletter and sometimes, puzzle books depending on what I have on hand.
I found out that it was less expensive to send the cookies in a medium flat rate box since they needed to go though the USPS. No matter how much I stuff into the box, the cost is always the same ($15.05). The guys at the post office know me (greet me as The Cookie Lady) and ask where their cookies are just as I hand over their bag of cookies out of my purse!”