FREE TIME: Make military life a little sweeter

DO IT
From tucking in a letter to a few simple necessities, you can pack a powerful morale boost for our service men and women. Doing your part is made easy by Operation: Caramel Corn, created by Dominique Martucci, owner of Naper Nuts & Sweets. Items dropped off at the shop are packaged with hundreds of bags of the candy treat.

WHOM IT HELPS
Every two weeks, shipments go to military people serving in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Martucci, who started the project after Sept. 11, remembers thinking: “I’m Italian; I’ve got to do something with food.” She welcomes names and addresses of service members for the project. To share good news from the home front, she includes a newsletter or letter of her own with each shipment.

HOW TO HELP
Martucci said popular items to donate range from lip balm and foot powder to socks, bandannas, hand sanitizer and packaged foods. Her Web site lists additional suggestions. “One lady brings in crossword puzzles from the newspapers. It doesn’t have to cost a penny. A letter goes farther than anything. It makes a world of difference to a soldier getting support ... they don’t like to feel forgotten.”

MORE INFO
WHO Naper Nuts & Sweets
WHERE 10 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville
PHONE (630) 355-5330
EMAIL nns@expressramp.com
WEB www.napernutsandsweets.com
HOURS 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
RELATED PROJECT Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in La Grange will donate 300 pounds of fudge this fall through Operation Support Our Troops - Illinois, says owner Jean Kuhn, reflecting a pound donated for every pound sold in July, when the annual drive is held. Meanwhile, you can help out troops year-round by visiting www.osotil.com for ideas.