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Posted June 2, 2004
 
Meadow Brook residents prepare packages for Iraq
Birmingham News
Marie Leech, News staff writer
 

If Meadow Brook residents had their way, each soldier in Iraq would have his own care package.
 
They may just have to settle for a platoon.
 
The Meadow Brook Homeowners Association is collecting everyday items for troops in Iraq and plans to send care packages to as many soldiers as possible.
 
"We've filled 50 boxes so far, and we have more collection boxes at AmSouth and Colonial Bank in Meadow Brook," said resident Maleah Barton.
 
Initially the homeowners wanted to mail boxes to a squad, or 11 troops. But as they started collecting the items, they realized they had enough to send to a platoon, or 33 troops.
 
Items collected so far include instant coffee, after-shave lotion, mouthwash, deodorant, nail clippers, breath mints, Alabama and Auburn caps, eye drops, batteries and international phone cards.
 
The project started last fall with four Oak Mountain High School students, two of whom live in Meadow Brook.
 
For their health class, the students had to raise money to fill a community need. They decided to collect items for the troops in Iraq and raise the money for the postage. The students approached the Meadow Brook Homeowners Association to help in the postage funding, since several of the packages were going to Meadow Brook residents or their family members, Barton said.
 
The project was so successful that one of the parents wanted to continue it on a slightly larger scale. It has been a success ever since, Barton said.
 
Of 800 households in the Meadow Brook subdivision, about 80 are participating in the project, she said. "A 10 percent participation rate on anything is great."
 
Barton said she hopes to have the packages to Iraq by Father's Day.