CROWN POINT | In an effort to look beyond themselves and help others, the Cadets ministry for boys in grades 1 through 8 at Crown Point Christian Reformed Church is on a mission.
The youths are collecting donations for care packages they hope to send to each of the 172 soldiers in Indiana National Guard Unit, Alpha Company 2/151, which is based out of Hammond.
Brad Van Kuiken, of Cedar Lake and a member of the congregation, is a member of Alpha Company 2/151, currently based in and around Kabul, Afghanistan. "They are on an 11-month deployment scheduled to end late this spring," said Jamie Bogaard, Youth and Family Life pastor at the church. "While this unit is made up soldiers from all over Indiana, many of them are from Northwest Indiana.
"While some get regular mail from home, there are others who receive little or no contact. The kids thought it would be awesome for every soldier to receive something at mail call," Bogaard explained.
In each care package, the Cadets plan to pack: an 18 oz. package of Oreos or 16 oz. package of Chips Ahoy cookies; one pair of over the calf socks; one mini sports ball; two tubes of Chapstick; one, 1/2 oz. bottle of Visine Eye Drops; one, 1.5-2 oz. bottle of Saline Nasal Spray; 4 Wet One Wipes; one 10-oz. container of Gold Bond Foot Powder Blue; 4 Quaker Chewy granola bars; 2 Listerine Mouthwash Packet packs; one Ziploc quart bag of candy, and two magazines.
"We are collecting (monetary) donations through the month of February," Bogaard said. "People can donate $50, which buys a fully-stocked care package and sends to a soldier. You can also donate $12, which pays to ship a box. Of course, donations of any amount will be put towards the purchasing of supplies and shipping of packages."
If people would like to personalize a package or have any questions, they can contact Bogaard at (219) 663-3643, ext. 303.
Checks can be made out to First Christian Reformed Church with the words "Care Package" in the memo line and sent to:
First Christian Refomed Church,
Attn: Care Package
700 S. Indiana Ave.
Crown Point, IN 46307
The Cadets ministry is based on Luke 2:52, which states that "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
"The goal is to help boys to grow spiritually in all areas of life (devotional, mental, physical, and social) by providing Christian men with a uniquely designed structure, program, and materials so that they can mentor boys effectively," added Bogaard. "The boys meet twice a month to study a Bible lesson and spend time doing woodworking and other crafts."
