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12/22/2010 11:00 PMFor some 60 years East Haven resident Shirley Roche worked both full- and part-time as a registered nurse and for the last 30 years she's knitted quilts as a hobby. Since last May, however, Shirley has added a third activity to her list-she's been assembling care packages for American soldiers fighting in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The idea to make the care packages came to Shirley while she was thinking about her grandson Steve (an East Haven native), who has served in the United States Army for 14 years now. He's currently stationed in Iraq performing duties as a military police sergeant.
"Steve is 34 and has three boys," Shirley notes. "He was home for Thanksgiving and he just went back."
Although Shirley misses Steve and worries about him, she can rest at ease a bit knowing that her care packages are bringing a little bit of home-and a whole lot of love-to Steve and dozens of other young men and woman serving in harm's way.
"When I started last May we did real great and then we made packages for Christmas," Shirley says. "We hope to do it again for Easter."
What Shirley collects for the care packages are non-perishable items-canned goods and chocolate excluded since the cans get too heavy and chocolate will likely melt in transit.
"So far we've sent over 42 boxes and each package is at least 40 pounds," Shirley says. "By the time you put a big can of coffee in and a jar of peanut butter and all the other stuff, the weight adds up."
The other stuff Shirley speaks of includes hygiene items like toothpaste, tooth brushes, floss, and deodorant and clothing items such as socks and gloves.
"The women over at the senior center have a knitting group going and they're been making scarves and hats for the soldiers," Shirley says.
Shirley may be the kingpin behind the care package drive, but she has the help of the other members at American Legion Auxiliary at Post 89.
"There's a group of seniors from the Foxon area who've been wonderful-they've all contributed. So have the members of the local bingo group at Legion post and the parents of the students at St. Vincent de Paul's School, where I was a school nurse for 13 years," Shirley says, adding, "I'll look for donations anywhere I can."
Although Shirley originally intended for the care packages to wind up in the hands of soldiers from East Haven, she admits it's been harder to get the names of local soldiers than she first imagined.
"The local soldiers' names we did get have been getting two or three care packages apiece," Shirley explains. "So they share with their friends since there's no way one person could use all those things."
Soldiers don't have to be local, though, to receive a care package.
"If we get someone else's name, we'll send a package," Shirley notes. "We have one fellow from Florida and he's been getting boxes. We just got a beautiful thank you note from him."
When not quilting or caring for her own home and hearth, Shirley says she plans to keep on collecting donated goods and assembling care packages.
"I'll keep doing it for as long as I can," Shirley says, "and for as long as our soldiers are over there."
To nominate a Person of the Week, contact Jason Marchi at j.marchi@shorepublishing.com or 203-245-1877 x6166.
To donate an item or provide the name of a solider to whom you'd like to have a care package mailed, contact Shirley Roche at 203-469-1696 or Mayor April Capone Almon's office at 203-468-3204.