Little Town, Big Impact – Fundraising for Military Care Packages

4/9/2018

What town had the most volunteers per capita in World War II?

Not Chicago, Atlanta, or any of the big cities, but a small town in central Texas named Kosse.  Back then, almost half of the population left Kosse to fight as well as help with the war effort. Many did not return.  That tradition of selfless giving continues today—Kosse is known as a little town with a big heart!

Kosse Cares Inc. and Military Fundraising for Care Packages

Kosse also happens to be the home town of Kenda Eckols, one of the founders of Kosse Cares Inc.  Named in honor of her town’s history and its residents’ caring nature, Kenda explained that, “Kosse Cares was formed in 2014 in order to support our military in a positive way with quality care packages worth over $150 each.” Those care packages bring cheer to in-state and deployed military when they’re at their most homesick—right before Christmas.

Last year, Kenda told us that Kosse Cares was “able to send extra packages to deployed units, men and women who were in ‘tight spots’ and living off MREs.” Imagine how amazing it would be to receive a package filled with delicious snacks and considerate gifts when you’re far, far away from home during the holidays?

Though Kosse volunteers do the procuring and packing, paying for all the thoughtful items within the packages is achieved through fundraising.  The military fundraising goal of Kosse Cares is anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 annually, an amount which Kenda says is “enough to pay for over 100 care packages. Any extra left over is directed toward special request care packages or is donated to a military cause such as the PTSD Foundation in Houston, TX.”

A Military Raffle

In support of that, Kosse Cares holds an annual gun raffle to raise the necessary funds.  We asked Kenda her advice on how to put together a successful fundraiser, she shared that “when a cause is good and organized, it will sell itself. But it takes communication and results that are positive. For example, we always put a big thank you picture of our military addressing their supporters. They (the supporters) can see their purchase made a difference!”

Scroll through the Kosse Cares Facebook page and you’ll see pictures of service people delighted by the receipt of their care package. Supporters must feel great knowing they’ve made an impact!

We are honored that Kosse Cares chose Eventgroove for their raffle tickets and invitations! The reason, Kenda explained, was our quality product and that our tools and templates are easy to customize.