VASJ students, staff and alums work together to support our troops

The VASJ students, staff and alums collected over 200 pounds of items to be donated to the USO for sorting, packing and shipping to our service members overseas. On Wednesday, October 19th, Army veteran Mr. Gary Minadeo '74 and three students, Devon Bolden '13, Jeff Flach '14 and Marty McGarry '15, took the items to the USO Bainbridge Packing Center for processing.

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They first learned the entire process from retired Army Colonel Mr. Ralph Burr and his wife Noel, volunteers at the center, and then they sorted and packed the VASJ donation into 18 boxes for shipping. The boxes are sent via the United States Post Office to the Army Post Office for overseas shipping directly to military personnel by name. If anyone has an address for a service member simply contact the USO and give them the address so your service member can receive a box of personal items and a box of treats. Along with the VASJ items delivered to the USO went a $500 donation sent in by a St. Joe's alum to help cover the shipping which is roughly $13 per box – a generous donation which ensured VASJ’s items collected were able to get shipped.

From collecting the donation items, spending a morning packing the boxes at the USO and providing the money to ship the boxes, the Villa Angela-St. Joseph community has done its part to support our troops who are overseas this holiday season.

Click here to learn more about the USO care packages.