For the Troops marches on
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

Just about any day of the week, there's a chance you'll find Paula Cornell, Jamie Josephson and Leslie Pelosi in a stuffy Simi Valley garage filling boxes.

The two-car garage belongs to Cornell, who last year started For the Troops, a grassroots organization whose goal is to send care packages to the soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cornell, a part-time paralegal, was inspired to help after her husband, Jim, shared his experiences in the 101st Airborne (Division) in Vietnam.

"My husband told me about all the hardships he'd been through," Cornell said. "I was moved by what he endured and I wanted to do something to show my appreciation to the troops."

Cornell also found out today's 101st Airborne soldiers stationed in Kentucky are deployed in Iraq.

"I didn't want those soldiers to go without some comforts from home," Cornell said.

From a modest army of one, For the Troops has quickly grown into a nonprofit organization with 20 or more regular volunteers.

"We're still taking baby steps," said Josephson, a resident of Woodland Hills. "But we don't want to get too big that (we can't give people) individual attention."

Since For the Troops was created, Cornell and her volunteers have mailed abroad more than 1,750 care packages. Of those, 450 were sent just this past week.

Though the group has expanded its field of donors far beyond the borders of Simi Valley, organizers say most of FTT's support still comes from within the city.

"It's unbelievable how the people of Simi Valley have stepped up to the plate, both with items and help," Josephson said. "Even though it's a big city, people have a small-town spirit."

Cornell and Josephson worked together 16 years ago and stayed in touch every so often over lunch. When Josephson retired from her job as an escrow officer, she told her friend she was looking for volunteer opportunities. Helping send care packages to the troops and working with her friend was the perfect find, she said.

"We work about 25 hours a week, organizing and collecting items. When we're packaging, sometimes we get about 20 people to help," Josephson said. "We're hoping to get some space donated so we can get out of the garage."

The women ask for contributions by speaking to various community groups, to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and in churches and synagogues.

Among the food items For the Troops requests are nuts, potato chips in tubes, powdered juice drinks and a soldier's favorite- chocolate candy bars.

Practical items collected are baby wipes, Zip-lock bags, pipe cleaners, socks and AA and AAA batteries. The packages also include nonprescription medications like aspirin and eyedrops and foot powder as well as items like Chapstick and sunblock.

Monetary donations go for postage, packaging and the purchase of needed items.

Pelosi, a retired Navy petty officer, has lived in Simi since 1989. She joined her friends to collect items for the troops.

"Every package that goes out has a letter from Paula and Jamie and two or three letters of appreciation from adults and kids," Pelosi said. "We have a whole binder of thank-you letters from the troops and a lot of e-mails too."

Cornell would like to expand their list of recipients. She urges anyone who knows a soldier serving overseas to contact her so they can send a care package.

For more information or to donate to For the Troops, call Cornell at (818) 262-7180 or e-mail her at USA@ForTheTroops.us.