Handling with care, Team Dover volunteers, supports USO Delaware Published May 1, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Shen-Chia Chu 436th AW Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Team Dover members and their families recently gathered in a warehouse to help volunteer and support the United Service Organization Delaware at Dover Air Force Base. More than 60 volunteers sorted and organized several items for a variety of projects from palletizing more than 5,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, to boxing and storing dozens of Beanie Babies to support servicemembers located and supported by USO Fort Drum, USO El Paso and USO Dallas Fort Worth. "This incredible support was probably the biggest turn out of military volunteers we've had in a long time," said Joan Cote, USO Delaware director. "I'm very grateful for every single one of them who has worked extremely hard to support us - they managed to do in one night what would have taken our small staff weeks, if not months." Volunteers sorted shelves full of donated items from the local community, as inventoried personal hygiene items of toothpaste and shaving cream, and repacked dozens of greeting cards and care packages sent from families at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, for shipment to deployed units. Airmen and their families, and civilians teamed up to sort through thousands of pounds of brand new books for the upcoming book give-away May 10. The give-away is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to all Active Duty, Reserve and Guard members and their families, and from 1 to 3 p.m. for retirees and Department of Defense civilian employees, said Mrs. Cote. "I would like to especially thank Chief Jon Lynn for organizing and supervising this incredible group of volunteers to come out," she said. "This started out being a squadron volunteer opportunity and I only expected a little over ten Airmen," said Chief Master Sgt. Jon Lynn, 436th AMXS maintenance superintendent. "But our Airmen spread the word around the maintenance group and many Airmen showed up to help and assist. "From NASCAR ticket give-aways, Operation Cookie Drop and everything that impacts our people, the USO is a heavy player and we're willing to team up to support them as best as we can," he said. "Though we were volunteering to help support the Army, the USO supports all military members and Dover Airmen who volunteered for the USO got to see the kind of effort and hard work that comes from the USO volunteers to supply donated packages and cards for all armed forces members. The chief mentioned that the USO even provided pizza and sodas to reward the volunteers after a hard days' work for their effort.