About 100 people gathered in Sandy at the South Valley Chamber's "Let's Do Lunch: South Valley Honors" event Monday, Aug. 10, to kick off a campaign aiming to pack 500 care packages for active-duty service members at a community assembly day next month.

The Taste of Home Care Packages project, tied to the nation's 250th anniversary, is now collecting shelf-stable snacks through Wednesday, Aug. 26. A community packing event is set for Wednesday, Sept. 9, where volunteers will assemble the packages for shipment.

Attendees at Monday's launch wrote thank-you cards for deployed troops while hearing from Nicole Handy, executive director of America250 Utah and a Millcreek City councilmember, and Steve Rosenvall, CEO of Alpha Warranty and a military veteran.

"It was the little things that brought the most joy," Rosenvall said at the event, according to the Chamber. "When you're out there, you crave that familiarity and comfort from home more than anything."

Chamber President and CEO Jay Francis said the project felt like a natural fit for the organization, which serves as the official business partner to Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, Riverton, Cottonwood Heights, Herriman and Bluffdale.

What to donate

Care package contents were recommended by Utah National Guard members and military veterans. The list includes granola bars, candy, beef jerky, food flavoring, hydration packets and handwritten notes of appreciation.

Residents can contribute by purchasing items through an Amazon registry on the Chamber's website, making monetary donations, writing thank-you notes or volunteering at the Sept. 9 packing event.

As we reported July 29, the Chamber first announced the initiative in late July. Monday's launch added the specific donation items, speakers and confirmed packing date.

Draper City promoted the project on its official social media account on Aug. 6, directing residents to the Chamber's Taste of Home page for details and registration.

The donation deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 26. The Sept. 9 packing event location has not been announced; registration and the full Amazon registry are available at southvalleychamber.com/taste-of-home.