On Dec. 6, 2019, Exchange Club members give Littlefield Post Office the business of sending off 90 care packages to “Any Soldier” overseas. Submitted Photo.
For the past 14 years. the Exchange Club of Mesquite has been helping the Littlefield Post Office and “any” soldiers overseas at the same time.
The help began when Gene Maughan, Littlefield postal clerk and Mesquite Exchange Club member, had a plan which he presented to Littlefield Postmaster Doug Adriance and his fellow Exchange Club members. It solved issues with a program that was already under way in the Exchange Club and aided in keeping the small, rural post office running.
The plan involved the mailing of 100 packages for the soldiers overseas with the Any Soldier Project.
According to the Any Soldiers website, “All the soldiers involved in this effort are military volunteers stationed in areas that are overseas. You send your support (letters and/or packages) addressed to them and when they see the “Attn: Any Soldier” line in their address they put your letters and packages into the hands of Soldiers who don’t get much or any mail first. Everything is shared.”
This year 90 packages went out to the program on Dec. 6, 2019. Adriance said this effort began because Maughan said mailing this many packages from Mesquite, an already busy post office, was a huge hassle. Littlefield Post Office, being much smaller and a lot less busy at the time, could easily handle the bulk and schedule the mailing date made it work well for everybody. Adriance said, “Not only do I fully support this program, the Exchange Club and what they do but the extra postal income was more than welcome and helps tremendously to keep this office alive. Our earning potential here is limited and obviously much smaller than city offices so this extra income, about $1,600, is well appreciated from a business standpoint.”
This is just one of the many ways the Exchange Club of Mesquite supports our troops; if you’d like to become involved contact the Mesquite Veterans Center at 702-346-2735 for more information.
