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On a cold December night, somewhere far from home, a young soldier opened a plain brown box that had just arrived with the mail. Inside, beneath the packing paper, were small treasures that felt like pure gold: good coffee, thick socks, a silly crossword book, a pack of peanut M&Ms, and a handwritten note from someone in Ponca City, Oklahoma who didn’t know his name yesterday, but had taken the time to say, “Thank you. We’re thinking of you.”
Back in Ponca City, that box started its journey in a much warmer place: the Senior Center on Grand Avenue.
This year, the Ponca City Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are once again rallying the community for Operation Pioneer Spirit, a holiday project dedicated to sending care packages to U.S. service members stationed overseas during Christmas. The mission is simple but powerful; spread cheer, offer comfort, and remind our military heroes that they haven’t been forgotten by the hometowns they left behind.
Request for Names
For the women of the DAR, it starts with a question they hope every Ponca City family will ask themselves: “Do we know someone serving far from home?” A son or daughter in the Army. A grandchild in the Air Force. A cousin aboard a Navy ship. A neighbor’s kid stationed in a dusty corner of the world where the nearest “store” might be a makeshift tent.
If you share their name and mailing address with a DAR member, that service member will be added to the Operation Pioneer Spirit list and receive a box filled with both practical supplies and a little bit of holiday joy.
The wish list is thoughtful, born from years of listening to what deployed troops actually need and enjoy. Good quality baby wipes and Dude Wipes to freshen up in harsh environments. Lip balm, sunscreen, and Q-tips. Deodorant and foot powder that can turn a long, hot day into something just a bit more bearable. Shampoo, conditioner, and hair masks, “the good stuff,” not just whatever’s left on the clearance shelf.
Then there’s the fun side of the box: playing cards and travel-size games to pass the time between shifts. Adult coloring books, Sudoku and crossword puzzles, and mechanical pencils that don’t constantly break. Fitness magazines for a mental escape. A little Febreze or air freshener to make a bunk or barracks smell just a bit more like home.
And of course, snacks. Lots of snacks.
Individually wrapped candy that won’t melt too easily, like dark chocolate or beloved Peanut M&Ms. Hard candies, gummies, Werther’s, and gum for sharing with friends. Tuna-and-cracker kits and oatmeal cups. Microwaveable soups and mac and cheese for quick comfort on a cold night. Nuts, beef jerky, and sunflower seeds that tuck easily into a pocket. Drink mix packets to transform a plain bottle of water into something more like the Gatorade or tea they’d grab here without a second thought. Even freezer pops that will be frozen and enjoyed halfway around the world.
Every donated item, no matter how small, becomes part of a story that starts in Ponca City and ends in a moment of relief, delight, or quiet gratitude somewhere far away.
For the volunteers, the best moments often happen during packing week. The Senior Center at 319 West Grand Ave. fills with tables lined in assembly-line fashion: toiletries at one end, snacks at the other, and stacked boxes in the middle waiting to be filled. Someone checks names off a list, making sure every service member submitted by friends and family will receive a package. Another person carefully tucks in a handwritten note—sometimes from a classroom of kids, sometimes from an elderly couple who just want to say, “We’re proud of you.”
Between December 1 and December 5, community members can drop off donations or notes at the Senior Center. After that, the DAR team will spend the following week sorting, packing, and taping up boxes to ship overseas, racing the calendar so that as many as possible arrive in time for Christmas.
It’s not a big-budget operation. There are no corporate sponsors or national television ads. Operation Pioneer Spirit runs on donations of items, postage money, and the quiet generosity of people who still believe that gratitude should be tangible. If someone doesn’t have time to shop, they can simply give toward shipping costs—the least glamorous but most essential expense of all.
In the end, these boxes are about more than ChapStick and coffee. They’re about connection.
They say, “You may be halfway around the world, but the people back in Ponca City haven’t forgotten you. We’re proud of you. We’re with you. And while you spend your Christmas protecting our freedom, we hope this little box of home helps protect your spirit.”
Somewhere, a soldier smiles, unwraps a piece of candy, and tucks that handwritten note into a pocket that’s already a little too full. The box will empty quickly. The feeling it brings will last much, much longer.
And it all begins with a simple decision here at home: to give, to write, to remember—and to be part of Operation Pioneer Spirit.
General Wish List / Most Requested Items:
Good Quality Baby Wipes (like Huggies, etc...)
Dude Wipes
Q-Tips
Lip Balm/Chapstick
Hand Warmers -- for winter months
Toothpaste/Toothbrushes/Floss
Deodorant (quality)
Foot Powder
Shampoo/Conditioner/Hair Masks/Hair Oils (quality shampoo)
Ziploc Bags (Quart/Gallon Size)
Sunscreen (specifically for your face)
Fitness magazines (Runner’s World, Women’s Health)
Febreze for clothes
Air Fresheners (non-aerosol, no plug-types, non-burning)
Playing Cards / Travel Size Games / Puzzles (small boxes)
Adult Coloring Books / Coloring Pencils, Crayons or Markers
Sudoku / Crossword Puzzle Books
Quality Pens and Pencils (mechanical style)
Food Requests:
(Single servings, individually wrapped preferred)
Chocolate – Dark Chocolate or that won’t melt (Peanut M&Ms)
Candy – Hard candy, Sweet Tarts, Swedish Fish, Gummy Bears Werther’s, etc…
Chewing Gum – All flavors
Mints – All flavors
Freezer Pops (to be frozen overseas)
Tuna Packets w/Crackers (sold in sets at grocery store)
Oatmeal Cups
Microwave meals – Soup, Mac & Cheese, Chef Boyardee, etc…
Nuts, Peanuts, Pistachios and Sunflower Seeds (there are different flavors)
Dried Fruit, Fruit Snacks, Apple Sauce in a Pouch
Beef Jerky/Slim Jims
Chips, Crackers, Cookies • Hickory Farms Foods
Powdered Drink Flavor Packs (Crystal Light, Gatorade, Propel, Celsius, Liquid IV)
Healthy Snacks - Protein bars, Peanut Butter To-go Cups
Good Coffee and tea (K-cups, ground coffee and tea bags)
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