JASPER, Ind. – February 21, 2008 – Thousands of U.S. soldiers serving overseas are receiving Valentine’s treats thanks to Office Furniture Partnership (OFP), a Kimball Office Select Dealer in Morristown, New Jersey.

For the second straight year, OFP employees have spearheaded a “Hugs from Home” campaign to show appreciation to U.S. servicemen and women serving overseas. A “hug from home” is a gift tube filled to the brim with friendly notes and useful items. The idea for the compact care packages came from OFP partner Bob Rigby.

“You read the paper and see the horrible things our troops are going through everyday in Iraq and other places, and you wonder what can we do to let our military know they are loved and supported during their deployment,” explains Mr. Rigby.

Throughout the first half of February, OFP employees distributed clear plastic and asked their customers and business partners to join them in sending “a hug.” The result has been an outpouring of support. “Last year we sent out nearly 1,000 tubes. This time around, we have almost triple that number,” says Mr. Rigby.

Aon Risk Services, which lost many employees in the 9/11 attacks, provided items for 100 tubes, as did Kimball Office. Jackson Hewitt, the tax preparers, contributed 1,500 phone cards. Students from local elementary schools also participated. Donated items included necessities: toothbrushes, foot powder, deodorant, and bug spray; fun stuff: sports magazines, cigars, puzzles, games, and chewing gum; and handmade cards like this one from an area grade-schooler:

Dear, Service Men and Women thanks for serving for our country. What are your jobs? Which team did you want to win? Where have you visited lately? Do you have any friends? From, Stephanie.

For OFP and Kimball Office employees, Stephanie’s crayon-written Valentine expresses the spirit of the program perfectly. “You reach out to people you don’t know and may never meet,” says Mr. Rigby, “and you make sure that they aren’t skipped at mail call. You make sure they know that someone cares about them. For as long as there’s a war, we’ll be sending ’hugs.’”