Above / The community is welcome to help fill comfort and care needs for troops serving in the military. (PN File Photo)
Updated Post, Oct. 6, 2022 / Operation Support Our Troops America will host its next Shop and Drop at Jewel-Osco at 1759 W. Ogden Ave. at Aurora Ave. from 9AM-4PM, Fri., Oct. 6. All support is welcome to help make this another successful Shop and Drop to help get needed items for deployed troops serving in dangerous places around the world.
Volunteers are needed. CLICK HERE to sign up to volunteer during one of three shifts available: 8:30AM-11:30AM, 11AM-2PM, and 1:30PM-4PM.
Original Post, Sept. 22, 2022 / Operation Support Our Troops America will host another Shop and Drop event from 9AM to 4PM Sat., Sept. 24, at Jewel-Osco, located at 1227 Naper Boulevard, just north of 75th Street in Naperville.
The Shop and Drop program helps OSOT-America restock its shelves for its Comfort and Care Package Program as well as its upcoming Holiday Stocking Program.
The community is welcome to shop for requested items from a list posted at the front of the store and drop them off with volunteers after check out. This event helps supply OSOT-America with needed items for troops serving in dangerous places across the globe, organizers said.
Store director John Heiman, who took on his latest responsibility at the Naper Boulevard Jewel-Osco location on July 12, is pleased to follow in the tradition of helping groups such as OSOT-America as he becomes acquainted with the Naperville community.
He noted that the supermarket also regularly provides donations to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, a partner in support of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters as well as youth and senior feeding programs in order to provide nutritious food and resources.
A resident of nearby Montgomery, the new store director is a nine-year veteran with Jewel-Osco. Heiman joined Jewel in 2014 after 34 years with Dominick’s, a supermarket chain that closed down its stores in December 2013.
Always comfortable in the aisles engaging with customers, Heiman said that he has worked in five Jewel locations during his first nine years with the company and none of those locations were close to home. Sometimes his daily commute included traveling 200 miles. Now working at the Naperville Boulevard location, he notes the store’s proximity to Montgomery has been a gift of time.
“I’ve always been customer-service driven,” said Heiman, noting changes in inventory to meet customers’ requests and needs for certain products whenever possible. Working with OSOT to determine needs in advance of the group’s Shop and Drop event is another way to help.
With that information Heiman went on to say OSOT-America had provided a list of items that OSOT will place in the Comfort and Care Packages.
This Saturday, store announcements throughout the day will remind shoppers that OSOT-America is there, Heiman added.
The Jewel-Osco on Naper Boulevard is one of four Jewel-Osco locations in Naperville where Shop and Drop events are scheduled throughout the year.
“We’re very grateful for the opportunity that Jewel-Osco has given us to set up in their stores to share OSOT-America’s mission and pass out a list of needed items their shoppers can purchase for our 25-pound care packages,” said Linda Tuisl, Executive Director for Operation Support Our Troops-America. “Since 2003 we’ve sent out 2.3 million pounds of items to deployed military members serving our country through our Comfort and Care Package Program. We have been honored to work with Jewel-Osco for many years and we’re extremely appreciative of their ongoing support… and looking forward to being at the Naper Boulevard location this Saturday.”
