Pauline’s Gifts in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a dedicated partner to Operation Troop Support, a Danvers, Massachusetts-based nonprofit that sends care packages to deployed service members.
This year, Pauline Bresnahan, owner, raised more than $1,500 in donations for shipping care boxes packed with comfort items such as socks and undergarments for female troops, who make up about 20% of the military. Donations are packed into boxes at Operation Troop Support and shipped overseas, while Bresnahan rallies her community with raffles, painting events and fundraisers to offset shipping costs that amount to about $20 per box.
“They have told me they get weekly requests, especially from women serving overseas, and this drive is so important to them because the supplies are going into areas that are not yet equipped,” says Bresnahan, who announced a successful eighth annual women-to-women drive, thanks to generous community members and shoppers who support Pauline’s and the cause.
Bresnahan, touched by the outpouring of support, has surprised customers who donate to the drive with 20% off an item, just because. And she’s all ears for suggestions about what to collect for the care packages. Bresnahan works directly with Vionette “Vee” Chipperini, director of veterans services for the City of Gloucester. “Her support of this program has been tremendous,” she says.
“I had a female veteran who served in Iraq come into the shop who said, ‘We could really use toilet seat covers,’” Bresnahan relates, describing how “little things” are a tremendous comfort to women serving overseas. “No one knows better than the women who served,” she relates.
The women-to-women packages are a heartfelt, practical gesture that makes a difference, and Bresnahan receives touching notes from recipients that underscore the impact.
Plus, donations for shipping expenses are especially crucial because it lifts a burden from Operation Troop Support and ensures that the women-to-women care boxes are expedited.
“They are able to ship the products we collect rather than them sitting and waiting for funds from sponsors,” Bresnahan points out, relating that some customers who gifted items for the drive voluntarily added a $20 donation to ensure the essential items would leave the port.
Expressing her deepest gratitude to all who donated to the drive, Bresnahan says, “You all are my heroes!”
Bresnahan says she receives calls from retailers across the country who are inspired by her women-to-women drive and partnership with Operation Troop Support. “They ask about how they, too, could give,” she relates.
Retailers can follow Pauline’s Gifts lead in supporting female service members through Operation Troop Support or similar nonprofits.
- Start by contacting a local or regional troop support organization to learn what items are most needed — socks, undergarments, and personal care products are often in short supply.
- Choose meaningful times of year, such as Mother’s Day or the holidays, to anchor your drive and make it part of your store’s seasonal story.
- Encourage participation by offering a raffle item or customer incentive, and consider hosting a small event to raise shipping funds. Even modest collections can make a powerful impact for women serving far from home.
