The Gourmet Concept, located in The Parsonage at 6 E. Church St., is currently collecting international phone cards for our soldier in Iraq.
‘I have an employee whose sister is in Iraq,? said Sandra Keitel, owner of The Gourmet Concept. ‘She’s a weekend warrior who was sent over. Hearing about her situation just made me want to help.
‘Phone cards are something simple we can do.?
The weekend warrior that inspired the donation drive is Rachel Tiffany, sister of The Gourmet Concept employee Heather Tiffany. Heather had been telling her employer how much money the family spends talking with Rachel on the phone – especially since the phone calls tend to become more frequent the longer the Clarkston resident is away.
‘First she was supposed to be home at Christmas, now its March,? said Heather, ‘and now they’re moving her again.
‘It’s so expensive for them to call home to their families. She had to cut back how often she calls, and it’s not that often.?
Keitel said she hopes to collect and distribute as many cards as possible to as many units in Iraq as possible. She is handing the cards over to Michigan Military Moms for disbursement, and any cash donations will go to the Detroit Michigan Red Cross for their phone card drive.
‘It’s a gift from us Americans to show our troops our appreciation for being there fighting so we can be at home with our families,? said Keitel. ‘It’s the least we can do.?
She will collect cards until Dec. 15. Only international cards can be accepted. Donations can be mailed or dropped off at The Gourmet Concept.
For more information, contact Sandra Keitel at 248-922-9515 or 248-770-6746.