CouponsToTroops.com - check it out!!

[sbp]

The newest Coupons Girls project has gone live!!!

Coupons To Troops


The idea for CouponsToTroops came about because we wanted to have a place where people could learn the how's and why's about supporting our military families with something as easy as sending coupons!!

One of the best features of the site is not quite ready yet, but will be soon and that's to have an add feature for the directory of organizations around the country who are running coupon projects.

I am the coordinator for project in our community and have spoken to a lot of people at our drop-off nights. I've been asked repeatedly if I know of any similar projects in other areas of the country and I know they exist, but I don't usually have any other information at my fingertips to give out. With the directory on the website, hopefully someone in another part of the country will be able to look and see that yes, in their neighborhood there is a project that they can help support. Or if there's no project listed, hopefully we'll be providing them with the information necessary to start a project in their area.

Julie, Heidi and I are all for supporting our military families and this allows one one more way for us to do so!!

I hope you will check it out!!!



You can also become a Fan on our Facebook Page, Follow us on Twitter or read or write reviews in the BzzAgent Frogpond. (all links are )

[floridaangel]

Thanks :) I was trying to find where to send my expired ones too as I have a ton of them!

Can you give me any advice on starting a local club here in my area? How do you advertise that you are collecting expired coupons for the military. This would be an awesome service project for my girl scout troop.

[sbp]

I can definitely give you advice!!! As we mention on the website, you basically need 3 things to have a coupon project: Coupons, an address to send them to, and the postage money.

So I'll break it down for you:

Coupons:
I would suggest starting out with the girls in your troop and their families. Make up a flyer for all the girls to hand out to their family members, friends, relatives and neighbors letting them know what you'll be doing and why. Chances are you won't get alot at first, but starting off slow will help you to get a routine going before you start getting slammed with coupon donations.

You'll get coupons that are already cut, but probably a good percent of the coupons will still be in full inserts, but you have can use the girls for their cutting skills and maybe even their sorting skills, depending on their age. Coupons should be sorted into a few categories (Food, Health/Beauty, Non-Food, Baby and Pets)

Our organization counts the face values, just so we have an impressive dollar amount to keep the momentum going for our contributors, but it's not necessary.


An Address:
As a hcw member and a couponer, you already have one advantage on finding a person who will be willing to receive coupons from your group. Follow the link in my signature and make contact with one of the HCW members listed. Or you can do as the website suggests, and inquire within your local community and find out if there's anyone with ties to your town/city that is stationed overseas. If there is, then contact that person and tell them about the project to see if they would be willing to be your contact person.

and finally postage money.

Depending on how big of a response you get will determine how big of a envelope/box you'll need to mail them. There's several flat-rate mailers and boxes available at the post office, but you can also just use regular envelopes or manilla envelopes if you don't have enough coupons to fill the others. Remember it's the same prices as you would pay to mail the package to someone here in the U.S..

Raising the money to be used for the donations is probably going to be your biggest concern, but it can definitely be done. Maybe do a bottle drive and earmark the money for your postage fund or put together a raffle or ask outright for donations, really anything that will bring in some money. You might even want to check with any mililtary organization in the area (American Legion, VFW, Marine Corps League, etc) or a service organization (Lions Club, Kiwanis, Rotary, etc) to see if they would help co-sponsor you and have them cover the postage for your project. Offer to do all the work in exchange for them paying all the postage. Really the means are endless, you just have to go after it.

That's it in a nutshell.

Once you have your routine going, then you can expand to see about getting more coupons brought in by dropping off information at businesses (they might want to put a collection box in their employee lounge) or see if the library would put out a collection box, churches, senior centers, etc. Your local radio station or newspaper might work with you by running a PSA to help promote the project.
And once you're up, please add your group to the directory at www.couponstotroops.com



Hopefully that will give enough information to get you started, but please feel free to pm me anytime if you need any help getting going.

[hotcouponmama]

This is a great little information site, and Lesley did a wonderful job gathering content to make it happen! If it helps out even a handful of military families, then it's totally worth it!

[Gracenote76]

thanks!

[skimo]

Bump....Let's keep this thread visible...

[fastcat]

Thank You from a military spouse! I would love to help.

I have lots of coupons. Do the coupons have to be expired?

I just need an address to send it to. If you can give me an address I will get started.

Thank's again. Nicky

[sbp]

The coupons do not need to be expired.. Sending current ones just allows them that much more time to use the coupons.

Here at HCW, we have a thread in the Expireds forum of a dozen or so HCW members that are currently stationed overseas. The link is in my siggy - and all you have to do is pick a name on the list and send them a pm, requesting their address.

[Ggbwg]

Awesome you guys!! I will try to do this at the end of every month.

[sbp]

Bumping up and I also wanted to let you all know that the project directory feature is now live.

IF anyone is part of a coupon project and wishes to be listed, please click on the Add Resource and submit your information, or if you know of anyone or group that might want be included, please forward the website to them.

Thank you!!