WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — This week's Everyday Hero made it her mission to show her love and appreciation to our troops, and her efforts are making a difference for Marines around the world.
- Paula Stano is this week's Everyday Hero
- Stano founded a nonprofit sending care packages to our troops
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Paula Stano is a Marine mom in a big, big way.
It started when her son, Jordan, joined the Marines four years ago.
No phone calls or texts from boot camp. Just letters back and forth.
And then he sent her a letter that said:
“Hey Mom, I know you’re sending me letters, but can you send some of my rack mates, some of the other recruits, letters? No one’s writing to them, and the best part about being in boot camp is when you get mail.”
After boot camp, with many deployed overseas, Paula, through her son, learned that more than letters were needed.
So she began the Stano Foundation, a nonprofit sending care packages of food and other items to our troops.
And Paula is a stickler for details.
“I pride the Stano Foundation on putting the care in care packages, “Stano said. “We ask them, ‘What are the things you most want from home? What do you want in a package?’”
If you’re wondering, tops on the most requested list includes beef jerky, coffee, black crew socks, laundry pods, and hot Cheetos.
It’s not an inexpensive operation, with mailing the cost of each package at $45.
Paula and her staff are all volunteer with 100% of funds and items collected going to our troops.
To date, she and her team have sent three thousand care packages.
For this Marine mom of so many now, her mission is clear.
“I will continue to do it, whether or not my son is in the Marine Corps, until they all come home,” said Stano.