A Jacksonville club’s project to collect and send coupons to United States military personnel has been met with an overwhelming response.
The Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club has announced its three-month totals of their manufacturer’s coupon collection project.
The club has been collecting manufacturer’s discount coupons since November, sorting them by type, and then sending them to a clearinghouse for distribution to military personnel to use at commissaries on military bases both domestic and overseas.
Sunrise Rotary’s president Jay Jamison says he could not have imagined the project would receive the response that it has from the public.
“This is going to be an ongoing effort and it’s gone spectacularly well. I’ve never dreamed it would take off the way it did. Since we started this thing in November of last year we were trying to get going right around Veterans Day, we since collected over $31,348.66 worth of manufactured coupons which will be sent to troops.”
Project coordinator, Jane Becker, reports that, as of January 21, 2021, the running totals for each category of coupon collected is $2,565.37 in food coupons, $27,623.29 in Non-Food which includes household items, such a laundry, cleaning supplies, and pet-related items and $1,160.00 in Baby items.
Jamison says much of the credit goes to the businesses in town that are supporting the effort.
“The message we want to send out to everybody, if you want to use these coupons please use them at our local businesses and retailers they need the help as much as anybody. But if you’re not going to be using them manufactured coupons, please do not throw them away.
You can go instead to any of the local places that have our pick up boxes for this project that includes; the Jacksonville County Market, the MBroidery Shop, Jacksonville AM-Vets, Jacksonville Walmart at the service desk, Jacksonville American Legion, Jacksonville VFW, Gordon Jumper CPA, Perma-Bound, Hamiltons, House of Ink, and Production Express they’re all cooperating with us, it’s been a real community effort.”
Jamison says the club has spent $22.80 for postage to mail the collected coupons to the Support Our Troops charity located in Daytona Beach Florida, which then turns and distributes them to military personnel.
Jamison says the group takes care of all the work, they just ask for people to drop off those coupons they do not intend to use.
“We do all the work, all you have to do is bring these coupons by these collection boxes that are found in those locations described and just leave them there. We do it all from there, we’re not begging anyone for money, doing a fundraiser during a pandemic which is really difficult. So we aren’t asking anyone for money, but if you aren’t going to be using manufactured coupons you get, please don’t throw them away. Drop them in the box and we will do the rest.”
Jamison says the coupons then become known as “Troopons” to help U. S. military families around the globe. The Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at 7:00 am at the Holiday Inn Express in South Jacksonville.