Group that supports overseas troops holding open house at new T.O. location Saturday
Mike Harris
The Conejo Valley chapter of America Supporting Americans, a nonprofit that sends care packages and cards to U.S. troops sent overseas, is hosting an open house Saturday at its new location in the Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks.
The chapter, one of about 300 nationwide, started in 2015 and had been operating out of three volunteers’ garages. The group’s new storefront location is a result of the mall partnering with the chapter, said Jim Sumner, the chapter’s past president.
“We plan to have a lot of activity going on Saturday so that attending citizens can see how we support our troops,” Sumner said. “What we hope to gain from the open house is to get citizens to know what we do and to volunteer with us.”
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The chapter says its mission is to build a supportive link between overseas troops and the community.
“We send packages and cards that show support for our troops and raise their morale ‘as high as the sky,’” the chapter’s website says.
Activities at the open house will include volunteers boxing care packages to be sent to troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. A banner that also will be sent to the troops can be signed by attendees.
Boy and Girl Scouts will be writing cards to the troops and docents will give tours of the chapter’s new location. Attendees will be able to create art works for the troops, and coffee and doughnuts will be served.
The open house will be from noon to 2 p.m. at 193 N. Moorpark Road, Unit D, between Gold’s Gym and Nordstrom Rack.
More information about the Conejo Valley chapter of America Supporting Americans can be found on its website, asa-gcvc.org.
Mike Harris covers the east county cities of Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, as well as transportation countywide. You can contact him at mike.harris@vcstar.com or 805-437-0323.
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