LEXINGTON, Ky. — For almost twenty years, Lexington Military Missions have ramped up its charitable goals around the holidays, like packaging up items and requesting extra donations for their warehouse. 


What You Need To Know

  • Volunteers at Military Missions are hoping to support and thank soldiers overseas with ‘A taste of home’ this year. 

  • Donations like toothpaste, women’s hygiene, hard candy, and individually wrapped snackable foods.

  • Items can be dropped off at the military missions center near Clays Mill Road from 10 am to 3 pm until November 17th.

  • Other locations with drop boxes are the oak factory near Brannon Crossing and the Boyd Stephen CPA office in Nicholasville.  

Dan Koett with Military Missions says volunteers and donations are the driving force behind their work.

“This is a 100% volunteer-led and volunteer-driven organization. So no paid staff. The volunteers range from the folks you see here today getting care packages together and then also our board of directors.” Koett explained.

Items like toothpaste, feminine hygiene and behind are currently being collected. (Spectrum News 1/Sabriel Metcalf)

Items like snacks, clothes and personal hygiene products are collected to go out at different times of the year.

Their goal this year is to reach nearly 6,000 soldiers through fundraising events, letters, donation drives, and more. Donations like toothpaste, soap, and hair cleansers are needed.

Right now, the group is welcoming hands to help and those items of appreciation. Another way people can help is by donating their Kroger rewards points to a soldier and their loved ones.

Koett says “A Taste of Home” was started by Military Missions’ founder, Catherine Pennington, who is also the mom of a soldier. She wants to support other soldiers like he son with care packages.

She first made care packages for her son’s unit and expanded to a nonprofit in 2004. 

Now, people around the city are making an effort to show their gratitude.

The group has collected quality pillowcases have been collected in the past. (Spectrum News 1/Sabriel Metcalf)

“Our students always participated in packing the care packages that go out to the troops. But the letters have always been a part of that. That process, hands-on, always helps. Of course, you know, coming and seeing, you know, the gifts that are going out to our veterans help make it real for them,” Jessie Clark Middle School teacher Shawna Peake said. She has kept her students involved with the mission over the years.

The group says next to physical donations, monetary support makes a big difference in items they can purchase.