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For the past three years, Dalby, the daughter of a Marine, has led her own army of volunteers on a monthly mission to fill care packages for military troops deployed on the front lines. But the boxes and bags of Snickers, novels, and wet wipes destined for soldiers and Marines were jammed in between crochet needles, a couple of kayaks and a chain saw.
Dalby and her Operation Interdependence volunteers had to squeeze through the garage sideways to get at their supplies and squeeze back through to return them. Her heart was there. Her organization skills weren’t. Somehow, 1,000 packages were filled and sent around the world.
Alisha Woodford, Dalby’s daughter, entered a Mother’s Day makeover contest on CBS 2 – hoping not for a day at the spa, but a garage overhaul. She won.
"My mom has a heart the size of Texas," Woodford wrote in her winning 100-word essay. "There are many occasions in which I could express to you how that’s true, but none more than when it comes to the troops."
The professional help picked the Dalby garage bare to the rafters and laid 30 years of memories in the driveway. They boxed up and labeled the thousands of razors, Famous Amos cookies and handwritten letters for care packages. Three trucks from 1-800-Got-Junk came and left, filled to the top.
With the junk gone, there was room for shelves and hooks and order. The Container Store came up with $1,200 worth of supplies. The professionals of NAPO-LA organized. And 10 hours later, they had a garage worthy of any care package assembly line. Even the shelves have wheels – for even easier access.
To learn more about OI, visit www.oidelivers.org or contact Jane Schwartz, Vice President of Operation Interdependence, PO Box 339, Fallbrook, CA 92088, 760-468-4909, jschwartz@oidelivers.org.