Letting troops know they care

A Whitman County couple have dedicated their days of retirement to providing active U.S. servicemen and women with the comforts of home.

Roger and Lana Myers recently started a nonprofit, We Honor Every American Troop, outside of LaCrosse with the help of volunteers. W.H.E.A.T. donates care packages full of food and other necessities to soldiers overseas who do not have access to a base or commissary.

Lana Myers said they started sending packages because her husband, a Navy veteran, and her father, an Army veteran, know the joy soldiers feel when they receive mail.

“They both understand and articulated it means so much to soldiers to receive something from home,” she said.

So they began sending care packages overseas for about a year and a half before the cost of postage began to pile up. That is when the Myers and some friends came together to form a nonprofit in November to help alleviate the costs.

Lana Myers said W.H.E.A.T. on average sends about 31 care packages a month and each one is customized to each unit’s needs.

“We don’t have a one size fits all,” she said.

The nonprofit organization is aiming to send 365 care packages this year.

The couple find names and information of troops needing assistance from a website approved by the Department of Defense, and they personally select what items to put in each box based on the unit’s requests.

Lana Myers said the most common items they mail include blankets, baby wipes that the soldiers can use to wash themselves, high-protein snacks, feminine hygiene products and peanut butter.

They get many of their supplies from donations. On the Palouse, people can donate supplies at Banner Bank in Pullman, Moscow and Palouse. They can also donate at Ace Hardware and Truly You Clothing & More in Colfax; Endicott Food Center in Endicott; and Worldwide Abrasives LLC in Lewiston. She said businesses and restaurants have also donated to the cause.

In addition to the food and supplies, W.H.E.A.T. will also include a handwritten letter from the Myers in each care package. Lana Myers said the letters are meant to be uplifting and often share stories of their lives in LaCrosse.

“It always ends with the same phrase which is, ‘Stay safe please,’” she said.

Their black Labrador, Milo, will also “write” letters as well, complete with a stamp of his paw print. They often include tales of his love of celery, his beloved teddy bear and his exploits with a chicken that loves to torment him.

Lana Myers said they have received three thank-you letters from the soldiers since they began mailing the packages.

The Myers are currently in the process of transforming an old trucking business near LaCrosse into a warehouse for their operations. They are also working with a student and professor in Idaho to create a website.

All of this has kept the Myers busy in their retirement lives. But Lana Myers said it is worth the effort because they know it affects soldiers in a positive way. Making a difference in their lives, she said, brings a smile to their faces.

“Without our servicemen and women, we can’t live the lives that we live,” she said.

Residents who would like to have care packages sent to a soldier they know overseas can contact W.H.E.A.T.

Those interested in donating money to the organization can do so at any P1FCU or Bank of Eastern Oregon/Washington branch. People can also mail to W.H.E.A.T. at P.O. Box 253, LaCrosse, WA 99143. More information can be found by calling (509) 549-7827.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4640, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.