Operation: Touch of Home, a non-profit volunteer veterans' support organization based out of Monroe County, held their annual Military Appreciation Dinner and comedy show recently at the Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company in Kresgeville to show never-ending support and remembrance for all veterans who have served and are still serving. The dinner and entertainment was completely free to all Iraq or Afghanistan veterans and one guest. Operation: Touch of Home (OTOH) and WSBG, Lite 93.5 FM sponsored the annual event. There was also headline comedy show and music by Lehigh Lombardo-Cole and Kristal, who had all veterans respectively stand as their branch'shymn was heard. Mike the Magician was also part of the entertainment.

Operation: Touch of Home (OTOH), which began in 2003, when Dean and Sharon Green, of Effort, had visitedtheir son, Christopher Green at Camp LeJeune Marine Base in Jacksonville, N.C. before he was deployed to Iraq. They knew how much getting care packagesfrom home would mean to him and thought if it would mean that much to their son, how many other militaryfolks would also like to receive a little touch of home. With a collect group of family members and friends, Operation: Touch of Home was born and they have been routinely sending care packages to our troops ever since. During the dinner, Green mentioned that OTOH is closey approaching about 10,000 poundsof items sent to our troops. He also pointed out that Staff Sgt. William Wary will be running in the Steamtown Marathon and hopes to raise $1,000in donationsto OTOH. Another project OTOH is involved with is the Red FridayT-shirt project, in which people can show support for American servicemen and women who have served and are currently serving by wearing their own red T shirts or by purchasing a special red T-shirtoffered by OTOH.OTOH asks forcontributions consisting of cookies,beef jerky, CDs, DVDs, instant coffee, tea bags, gum, candy,cup of soups, games, AA, AAA batteries, strong sunscreen, fly traps, fly swatters, colored socks, baby wipes, lip balm, foot powder, dental floss and so much more.Anyone visit OTOH's website to see a more detailed list.Operation: Touch of Home relies solely on contributions. To make a contribution in Bill Wary's name, a check may be made out to "Operation: Touch of Home" and mailed to P.O. Box 162, Brodheadsville, PA 18322. OTOH is also looking for the names and addresses of servicemen and women serving in Iraq or Afghanistan to be recipients of their care packages.Contributions are tax deductible and are used in support of American troops serving overseas and abroad. You can contact OTOH via email

attouchofhome@hotmail.com,via phone at 570-977-1724, or visit their website at

www.OperationTouchOfHome.org

http://www.operationtouchofhome.org/ for more information on how to help.