Independence Day is just around the corner, but while we’re planning that backyard barbeque or watching that baseball game, we should take a moment to think about the brave men and women in our Armed Forces who are deployed overseas in harm’s way.
The Pennsylvania National Guard is represented by about 6,000 men and women that are currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these brave soldiers have strong ties to those of that work here; they are our coworkers, our friends, relatives, and our neighbors. In support of those individuals, Turkey Hill Dairy and Turkey Hill Minit Markets have teamed up for something we are calling “Operation Hometown Hello.”
The operation is pretty simple: There’s a box at each of the 250 Turkey Hill Minit Markets throughout eastern, central and southern Pennsylvania. The purpose of the box is to collect donated items to be sent to the soldiers overseas. They can be items you purchase in the store or items you bring from home. When the box is filled (hopefully often), Turkey Hill Dairy and Turkey Hill Minit Markets will ship it 6,000 miles around the world to those Pennsylvania National Guard members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Unfortunately we can’t send Turkey Hill ice cream or iced tea to the soldiers (trust us, we tried to think of a way to do it), but below is a list of the top 10 most requested items by the troops. Next time you’re in a Turkey Hill Minit Market, why not send a Hometown Hello by purchasing one of these items for the box?
1. Individual size peanut packets
2. Single-serve beef jerky products
3. Packs of gum
4. Non-chocolate candies
5. Pens and pencils
6. Pocket-sized notebooks
7. Single-serve bags of flavored sunflower seeds
8. Individual packs of pretzel rods
9. Protein and energy bars
10. Granola bars
For more information about Operation Hometown Hello and other Turkey Hill outreach efforts, visit TurkeyHillCares.com. And, for a good laugh, check out Stephen Colbert and Tom Hanks attempting to put together a care package for the troops (which includes ice cream and puppies).
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Tom Hanks Care Package | ||||
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Tags: ice cream, minit market, operation hometown hello, turkey hill
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That video was great! If only there was a way to send ice cream to the soldiers!
Since many of the troops returning to the States go thry Baltimore Airport, how about providing Turkey Hill at the airport
That was an awsome video!!
My church group also sent care packages to our troops in Afghanistan. We were told that the troops could purchase drinks and toiletries but not snacks, so we sent 4 boxes of beef jerky, homemade cookies, nuts ( they really love pistachios), popcorn and anything else we could think of. I am so proud that Turkey Hill is so concerned about the moral of the men and women serving in our Armed Forces that you would support this care package effort! TURKEY HILL RULES!!!!!
Thank you Turkey Hill for your support of our troops. And God bless all of them and keep them safe.
P.S. Your Bronx Bombers ice cream is AWESOME!! Thank You!!!!!
I wished we lived back in Pennsylvania — we live in Ohio and the Turkey Hill items are limited at our stores in Northeast Ohio.
Luv the ice cream — at least we can get that. Trying to get our local store to stock the drinks and the “fun” items i.e. ice cream bars, etc.
Keep up the great work — especially helping our boys overseas. We need more companies like Turkey Hill.
Opertion Hometown Hero is a great idea. We always have troops asking for local favorites…tasty cakes, Little Debbies, Utz potato chips, etc. Too bad we can’t send them Turkey Hill. ~jane http://www.sponsorthetroops.org
Our family loves Turkey Hill !!!. When company comes over we always serve Diet Orange Ice Tea. The whole family loves it. Our grandsons love Turkey Hill party cake ice cream.
I know that Turkey Hill is not doing this for the accolades however it is awesome that you are working to try and make our troops feel a little bit of home with the items they so enjoy. I am going to do what I can to help but it will probably be in the form of a donation since both my husband and I are disabled. However the ONLY ice cream anyone will ever find in our home is Turkey Hill. I hope we win some free ice cream but I will not be disappointed if we do not.
Leave it to Steve….
crazy guy.
I like Steve Colbert…and Turkey Hill ice cream……….
Our troops deserve everything! Thank you. Turkey Hill.
We have been amassing items for the soldiers, battered women’s shelter and food pantry using sales with double coupons. All we pay for is the tax. It is surprising how much you can get for little or no cost. Think how nice it would have been for another Pa. unit back in 1778 if Molly Pitcher could have brought the men TH instead of water at the Battle of Monmouth.
Turkey Hill is such a unique company!
I love your website and I love the way you support many great organizations trying to help others.
I have friends over in Iraq and I heard the temps there this past week were 120 degrees, so no wonder you can’t ship ice cream. Keep working on it though, its a good idea. Maybe you can get some hints from Omaha Steaks. Keep up the good work.
Thank You for support of our troops their are so many soliders that do not have family to mail then what they need
Love your Ice Cream I live in Ohio so it is limited where I can find it.
Thank You for the good deeds you do for our troops
Thanks for helping-Our troops deservre the best,& all the help we can send them. Ice cream is my favorite !
God bless our military men, women and families. We must not forget what they are doing for us. Thank you, Turkey Hill, for helping those of us who feel so helpless have a way to make a difference in their days.
IT IS SO GREAT THAT OUR TROOPS ARE BEING THOUGHT OF. THEY ARE SO DESERVING OF WHAT EVER WE CAN DO FOR THEM. I SURE BET THEY WOULD LOVE SOME TURKEY HILL ICE CREAM. KEEP THINKING AND MAYBE YOU CAN COME UP WITH AN IDEA TO GET SOME TO THEM.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
MAY GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS,AND GOD BLESS THE USA.
Your ice cream rocks!
I bet the soldiers would like Turkey Hill “astronaut ice cream” if it could be done. I used to love that stuff as a child! Thanks for helping our troops!
Happy 4th of July and thank you for reminding us to do whatever we can for the troops!
My family loves Turkey Hill drinks and especially the ice cream!
THANK YOU
Ice Cream is one of the neccessities of life. A day without ice cream is worse than a day without sunshine.
The Colbert report was cute, Tom Hanks was great. What a great way to support the troops. I love Puppy’s and Turkey Hill ice cream. Whenever we go camping we look for it in the stores. We found it in Virginia.There are only a few flavors we have not tried. They are all GOOD!!!
Love Turkey Hill and think that new limited addition flavor sounds awesome. Hope they have it in our store. Tom Hanks is fabulous..thanks Turkey Hill.
We had rain on all but 6 days this month in NH. Turkey Hill Moose Tracks helps keep my spirits up!
I bet the troops would love TH ice cream even if it were made the same way an astronaught eats their food! As we all know TH ice cream tastes good in any flavor, form or shape!
It would be great to send ice cream to the troops overseas. I am a GS Leader & we send Girl Scout cookies over the the troops every year. God bless our troops & keep them safe & hope they ALL return home safely and SOON!!!!
Well, hopefully, they can all come home soon and catch up on their ice cream eating. Thanks for the tips on what to send them while they are dreaming about Turkey Hill ice cream.
The Commander of our local V F W is in Iraq now, and the Post and Ladies Auxiliary have adopted his unit. We send numerous packages weekly to the unit. But I will get some things to our local Turkey Hill, so close to home.Thank you for doing your part. We all thank our military for keeping us safe here at home. Also wish TH ice cream could get there.
“Operation Hometown Hello” is a wonderful idea. I’m sure the troops will appreciate all those items we take for granted here in the states.
Tomorrow I will be purchasing some Turkey Hill ice cream for the weekend…
Love Party Cake!
It is so nice to see that Turkey Hill has not gotten to be so “big” and can still manage to remember what really matters. Thank you TH for remembering our troops.
Hi Turkey Hill, I am happy that you are thinking of our Troop over sea. I pray for their safety over their. Turkey Hill you are number1 in our family. Your ice cream is Number 1 THE BEST.
God Bless these Brave men and women – Thank You All!!!!
What a wonderfule cause, thanks to all the special men and women doing their country proud.
Thank you – Our troops are there to protect us! This program is wonderful! I have a nephew that was there and he was thankful for this program. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
That’s a great program, Turkey Hill! Thanks for thinking of the deployed troops, especially as we approach July Fourth.
I wish you could put Turkey Hill Ice Cream in the MREs!
Love your special limited time only flavors
I think it is wonderful that you care about our soldiers. I think your caring is important to all of us. By the way, your ice cream is awesome! Ever since I brought it home, it’s the only brand my husband will buy!
I work with a group called Letters from Home. We send packages to the troops worldwide three times a year. Our organization was just now featured in the June 19th edition of PEOPLE magazine. There is a letter in that issue that anyone can sign and send to us for our July 12th mailing. We assemble 4,000-6,000 goodie bags for each mailing. Whatever anyone can do for our soldiers is greatly appreciated–my husband is retired from the Air Force (two tours in Vietnam.)
your ice cream cones picture looks like flowers, so true wonderful good
Could you make your ice cream in a candy flavor and make them dot shaped? That way, you could send the troops your “ice cream” in paper ribbons and it wouldn’t melt.
Thank You Turkey Hill for remembering and reminding us.
Boy oh boy have we had fun with the weather and ice cream. This past week we went through 8 containers with friends..3 were my fav – vanilla bean believe it or not!
I have been drinking Turkey Hill Green Tea and also Turkey Hill Ice Cream. All the brands I have had so far are wonderful and several of my friends started to buy it too and they love it too. I only wish we could send the troops some, they would really enjoy it.
I already have my one-year old granddaughter hooked on Turkey Hill Ice Cream. She sits excitedly next to me every time I have my ice cream dessert, waiting for HER TURN!
Every month is Turkey Hill Ice Cream Month on my calendar.