Summit UPS Store, Bonds of Courage Team Up For DVD Drive For Troops

Last January, The UPS Store of Summit, located at 55 Union Pl, held its first DVD Drive for the Troops.

Antonietta LaVecchia, the store’s Manager, says that the original idea stemmed from wanting to do something special for their five year anniversary in Summit last year.

“I wanted to thank the community and give back in some way,” she said. That’s when the idea was presented by Bonds of Courage, one of the area’s most valuable organizations, to work together for the DVD drive.

Bonds of Courage is a 501 C(3) public charity serving active duty service members, post 9/11 veterans and their families. Its mission is to honor the courage and sacrifice of the brave men and women of the United States armed forces; wherever they serve, wherever they are from, in war and in peace. We build bonds with those whose courage is at the heart and strength of our nation, through person-to-person support from oath to home, for as long as they need us.

Since its inception in 2004, Bonds of Courage has reached out to more than 115 troops and their families, associated with the greater Summit area. Through these people, they have provided packages to more than 23,000 troops in their units.

In 8 years of service to more than a hundred troops, their families and the community, Bonds of Courage recognized that there is a gap in essential services when the troop comes home from active duty. Bridging this gap is the difference between a veteran carrying on successfully with day-to-day life as a civilian and a life fraught with difficulties.

Last year, The UPS Store of Summit collected more than 400 DVDs. They were distributed to Iraq, Afghanistan, a Marine base, and a ship in off the coast of Africa to active military personnel. Each box was filled with dozens of movies for our Troops to enjoy. The Bonds of Courage volunteers packed the boxes at the UPS Store and the UPS Store staff got the opportunity to get to know military children and families, witnessing the excitement of sending the gifts to their service member!

As men and women continue to deploy to war zones, and to bases and ships all over the world, your donation of DVDs will be a welcome gift to these remarkable Americans. When they get a moment to relax and kick back with a good movie, it’s a favorite thing to do. The DVDs should have titles that would be of interest to 18-35 year old, primarily men (15 percent of the military are women).

LaVecchia added, “About a month or so after the donations were sent out, I received a forwarded email from Bonds of Courage. It was from one of the service men that got a box of DVD’s. It was so full of thanks. I knew that we had made the right decision to partner up with Bonds of Courage for the DVD drive. “

Donations of new and gently used DVDs will be accepted at The UPS Store of Summit through Dec. 31, 2012. The store is located at 55 Union Pl. in Summit. The business hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For further information on Bonds of Courage, www.bondsofcourage.org, info@bondsofcourage.org, (908) 273-4122, 561 Springfield Ave., Summit, NJ 07901