Fifty volunteers gathered last week at Wawa’s headquarters to assemble 5,000 care packages for “Operation Taste of Home.” This is the 10th year for the program, writes Pete Bannan for Delco News Network.

The care packages contained donated packages of Wawa coffee, Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, Twizzlers, Orbit gum, and salted nuts. They are given to Liberty USO, which distributes them to local service members stationed overseas.

Among those taking part was USAF reservist Master Sgt. Danielle Heidrick, whose husband, John, is presently deployed.

“You’d think I was handing out gold,” said Liberty USO Executive Director Jo Anne Schultze, who confirmed the packages are a hit. “We will send out in the next week, for troops to get them for the holidays. We ship them to the troops in Djibouti Africa, Afghanistan, all over people request them. People love their Wawa.”

Each care package was topped off with a hand-written letter from customers, local schools and community organizations, and from Wawa associates.

The Wawa Foundation also presented a check for $969,000 to the Liberty USO. The money was raised during the summer by customers donations at in-store checkout coin drops and scan-campaigns.

Read more about Wawa’s “Taste of Home” here.

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