CLARKSTON, WA – A local nonprofit group recently sent care packages to military members for the holiday season. It is only with the assistance of the generous community that these packages can be sent by Christmas Wishes to Our Heroes Overseas, Inc., which was formed in 2013.
“Our mission is to reach as many of our Soldiers for the holidays to make their Christmas a little brighter, for their sacrifices serving and defending our great Nation so we can enjoy our everyday freedoms,” the nonprofit says.
The group was started by Eva Smathers of Clarkston 10 years ago at her son Sebastian’s urging and with the local VFW’s assistance.
As shipping costs rose, and the COVID pandemic prevented volunteers from gathering to pack boxes, Smathers says she turned to Amazon so the nonprofit could save money and reach even more troops.
Smathers says she also sends small stuffed toys to the soldiers so they can hand them out to children in areas where they are stationed.
Eva came to the Lewis-Clark Valley from Germany where she met her husband Mike, a U.S. Army soldier who graduated from Lewiston High School in 1983. She would send care packages to him each Christmas which he would then share with other soldiers.
Mike says he delivered Eva’s care packages with his Army helicopter.
Tens of thousands of overseas troops have been recipients of the Smathers family’s kindness and the community’s financial assistance since 2013. Eva says they are already looking forward to next year’s shipments.
“Our Nonprofit Organization is located out of the VFW Sourdough Post 10043 in Lewiston ID, I like to thank Captain Doug Welch special for his help with our Project and our best Friend’s Mary and her husband Rick Oler – a Veteran Family out of Clarkston. Helen Boyd-Schwartz from the Exchange for posting it always. Our main Company donations came from Naslund Disposal in Clarkston and Jovinea Cellars, Happy Days and Home-Depot in Lewiston. 100 plus Supporters and Volunteers helped us get all them packages packed. The Post-Office in Lewiston was working hard for us – before Covid-19 and the high shipping cost changed everything. I hope you still can add it. Thank you again, I will still try to keep it going as long as I can! I hope this article will make the people understand that it’s better to donate money even it feels better to help pack the care-packages for our Soldiers – I miss it too! I do the Cards and Beanie Babies but only 1-2 to each Troop, that’s like nothing before we all came together and was packing hundreds of packages.” – from Mike & Eva Smathers.
If you or your business would like to help the nonprofit with the shipping costs, or you have Beanie Babies/small stuffed toys
you would like to donate, send your tax-deductible donations to:
Christmas Wishes to Our Heroes Overseas, Inc.
2718 9th Avenue
Clarkston, WA 99403
Mike Smathers spent years overseas while in the U.S. Army. His wife’s care packages were morale boosters for the troops
Mike hand-delivered care packages with his helicopter.
