West Orange Cares Teams up to Help Soldiers

The holiday season is a time for many things — family, friends, parties, food and gifts. 

But we also sometimes forget the men and women of our Armed Forces who are deployed around the world protecting us and what we believe in.

Micky Wagner, a Marine sergeant from 1981-89, who has a son deployed in Afghanistan, thought something should be done about that, so she founded West Orange Cares — an organization that provides care packages and letters to soldiers around the world who may not have someone at home who can provide that service.

Wagner wanted to make sure in addition to the soldiers receiving words of encouragement in the letters, they also received much needed items such as candy, snacks, food, personal hygiene items, writing paper and magazines so the soldiers would feel as if they were back home.

But Wagner’s efforts recently received a boost when the Greater NY Commissioned Officers Association participated in donation drive at their Change-of-Command Ceremony and End-of-Year Party on Dec. 1.

The NYCOA consists of officers in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps supporting soldiers.

The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is a team of more than 6,500 full-time, well-trained, highly qualified public health professionals dedicated to delivering the nation's public health promotion and disease prevention programs and advancing public health science.

To find out how you can make a donation or have your letters sent to soldiers, please click here.