Special to the Sun

HOW WE BEGAN

Military Missions was founded in 2004 by Beth Pennington, the mother of a United States Marine.

While her son was deployed overseas, Mrs. Pennington sent him a care package filled with a “taste of home.” He was grateful, but he shared that the other 16 Marines in his unit had not received anything from home.

That moment changed everything.

From her kitchen table, Mrs. Pennington began assembling and sending care packages to the rest of her son’s unit. The impact was immediate and deeply meaningful. Encouraged by the response, she continued sending packages, first to additional members of his unit, and eventually to other deployed service members as well.

What began at a kitchen table became a mission.

WHO WE ARE

In 2008, Military Missions became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Today, we remain an all-volunteer organization based in Lexington, Kentucky.

What started with 17 care packages has grown into a community-driven effort supported by hundreds of volunteers and donors who give their time, resources, and hearts to serve our deployed troops.

Our mission is simple and unwavering: To remind deployed service members that they are not forgotten and deeply appreciated by sending them a “taste of home.”

In 2025 alone, Military Missions shipped nearly 12,000 care packages to service members around the world.

We host four major annual OPSENDS:

OPSEND Easter

OPSEND Freedom

OPSEND Thanksgiving

OPSEND Christmas

In addition to these large-scale efforts, we respond throughout the year to specific requests from deployed units, providing items such as hydration multipliers and other essentials for those serving in extreme and remote conditions.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Military Missions thrives because of the generosity of our community.

There are many ways to get involved:

Volunteer your time

Organize a collection drive

Donate care package items

Provide in-kind support

Make a monetary contribution

Every role matters. Every contribution counts.

If you’d like to be part of this mission, we would love to connect with you.

HOW TO CONNECT

Visit our office 570 Delzan Dr., Suite 10 Lexington, KY 40503.

Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Friday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Call or text: 859-221-9477 Email: info@militarymissions.org Website: militarymissions.org

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