HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — More than a hundred deployed Team Hill Airmen will receive care packages before Christmas thanks to the efforts of volunteers, generosity of donors and coordination of the Hearts Apart Program here.

The Hearts Apart Program puts together care packages for deployed Airmen twice a year and during the holiday season it’s all about timing.

“We usually try to do this right after Thanksgiving so we beat the big holiday postal rush,” said Master Sgt. Shantelle Carpenter, Airman and Family Readiness NCOIC.

Carpenter coordinated with the Clearfield Post Office to get boxes, tape and customs forms required to ship the packages to as many as 10 different locations across the world.

The program ships boxes for married and single Airmen with all postage funded by the Hill AFB Family Foundation.

“We try to send out as many care packages as possible to our deployed Airmen, to remind them that we haven’t forgotten about them, especially during the holidays,” said Carpenter.

Most married care packages were made by the deployed Airmen’s family with donated items or with items they brought themselves. Every family had the opportunity to take and place an instant photo of themselves in the box before it was sealed for shipping.

Many single Airmen packages were put together by volunteers and only needed a name and address in order to be shipped. Letters written by local elementary school students were placed into these packages.

Items placed into the care packages included toiletries, snacks, games, puzzles, shirts, socks, coffee and candy.

The Hill Air Force Base Hearts Apart Program, within the Airman and Family Readiness Center, supports spouses and loved ones of deployed service members with activities, outings, monthly newsletters and other resources.

Please contact MSgt Shantelle Carpenter 777-4681 for more information about the Hearts Apart Program.