Dear readers, I know as much as you do

This community will never cease to amaze me. All it takes is one

article and people come out of the woodwork with unprecedented

support for their neighbors. It is commendable, uplifting and a tad

daunting all at once.

While I am encouraged by the dozens of e-mails and phone calls I

have received asking for more information on how to send care

packages to the troops, I must ask for a cease fire, as I have no

magic solution.

In the past two articles I wrote on the subject, I gave every

piece of information I had on how to get care packages to our troops

overseas. As I reported, military officials have said no packages

will be delivered without a specific name and address. And

furthermore, military officials will not release a list of names and

addresses for well-wishers who have a school, cub scout or

neighborhood care package project.

Contrary to popular belief, I do not have a secret list of service

men and women and their locations overseas and really can’t help you

get those shoeboxes to our soldiers.

I understand this is frustrating to those who want to help, but I

have to imagine the military has good reason for their strict rules.

They have a very good reason.

Marine Capt. Joshua Smith at Camp Pendleton said they ask people

to refrain from sending unsolicited care packages because it creates

a backlog of gifts and goods that slows the entire postal process, he

said.

“With all the mail and all of the packages, it is making it much

slower for the Marines and sailors and soldiers to get mail from

their families,” Smith said. “And frankly, they don’t have the

ability to move on with all of it.”

Smith suggested well-wishers slightly shift their focus from the

troops’ present condition and think about what they will be coming

home to. Many of the troops’ families are struggling on base, trying

to make ends meet while their bread winner is away at war, he said.

“They are going to be coming home at some point, and it would be

better to provide the families with things they need right now to

make that transition easier,” he said.

The request to limit care packages is not from a desire not to

have people help out, but it would be more constructive to modify

that charitable spirit, he said. There are many organizations in

Southern California designed specifically to pool resources, in the

most efficient way possible right now, to help our military

personnel.

For those who would like to get in touch with those organizations,

you can start by calling the Camp Pendleton Volunteer Office at (760)

725-6637 or (760) 725-9052.

As heartwarming as it is to receive dozens of phone calls and

e-mails from generous residents, and as much as I would love to offer

more help or information, I am spent. That’s all I’ve got. You know

as much as I do. Sorry.

If you are still determined to get care packages to Iraq, might I

suggest working through local networks such as churches, schools,

bulletin boards at senior centers or hospitals for names and phone

numbers of families with loved ones overseas. If they wish, they can

share with you a specific name and address, and you can get those

packages off in the mail.

I know there is a Web site that invites any and all residents to

participate in discussions about the city at: groups.yahoo.com/

groups/CostaMesaCA. Perhaps you could log on and solicit contact

information for soldiers for your charitable cause.

Those are my suggestions. I am sorry I can’t do more. If I could,

I would take a hiatus and devote a chunk of my time to all the

worthwhile causes I come across in this job.

But I can’t because a) it would be considered a conflict of

interests and b) I would not have enough time to actually do my job.

I hope you understand and find a way to make your contributions

felt.

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

and covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275

or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.