On Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Father Barney of the Parochial Mission San Salvador Catholic Church in Piru handed a second check to Co-Founder Paula Cornell of the Simi Valley based For The Troops (FTT) organization in the amount of $793. A $300 check was given to For The Troops in August of this year also. The total of $1,093 was collected from contributions made by parishioners from both the San Salvador and Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Churches. Assisting with the presentation to FTT Members Paula Cornell and Virginia Obenchain were members of the Ventura County Fire Department's Station 28 headquartered in Piru; Captain Danny Rodriquez, Engineer Fred Ponce and Fireman/Paramedic Jason Buckley.

Recently the County of Ventura Fire Department joined with the “For The Troops Program” to send care packages overseas to United States Armed Forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. For The Troops is an organization based in Simi Valley that accepts donations and assembles care packages for our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The care packages are sent year around to our front line troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. These care packages contain much requested items such as snack items, batteries, DVDs, CDs, magazines, personal care items and letters of appreciation from children and adults.

For The Troops have placed collection boxes at all the County of Ventura Fire Department stations and are asking the public to participate in the the program by stopping by a local County of Ventura Fire Station in their community and donating items that are needed for the care packages. If any family member has someone serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, For The Troops will send a special package to them upon request. The family member can write, e-mail, or call For The Troops with the address of their serving military family member: For The Troops, P. O. Box 630103, Simi Valley, CA 93063. E-mail: USA@ForTheTroops.us, or visit their Website: www.ForTheTroops.us. Or, call Paula Cornell (805) 306-0830, or Janie Josephson (818) 640-3846.

Items needed are: Baby Wipes, AA and AAA Batteries, Granola and Power Bars, Beef Jerky, gum, candy (no chocolate), peanut butter and jelly, nuts, dried fruit, raisins, trail mix, Pop Tarts, individual snack items, potato chips (in cylinder cans), small canned tuna, pre-sweetened powdered Gatorade, and Crystal Light. Crossword, Word Search, Sudoku and puzzle books are also popular items requested. Small hand held games, travel size board games, movie DVDs and music CD's. Computer USB Flash Drive memory sticks are also needed. White athletic socks, Neck Cooler Ties, cotton swabs, Q-Tips and pipe cleaners to clean out the sand that collects in their personal items. Letters of appreciation to the troops from children and adults are also looked forward to by our troops and are read and passed around by individual members. Also of great need are, non-prescription medication such as aspirin/ibuprofen, eye drops, foot powder, anti-itch cream, lip balm, sunblock, and cold/allergy medications. It should be noted that Iraq and Afghanistan they are Islamic Countries. No pork products can be sent and due to postal regulations, no aerosol containers can be mailed.

Please visit one of the County of Ventura Fire Stations listed and show your appreciation to our troops and for the sacrifices they and their families are making for each and every day for us. Each and every one of them are truly American Heroes and need our support.

Local Ventura County Fire Depart Station addresses for the Fillmore and Piru communities are: Station 27, 613 Old Telegraph Rd., Fillmore and Station 28,513 Church St., Piru.