Stationed in Iraq
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Albertsons pitches in for workers serving in Iraq
Grocery company shows appreciation with care packages

Albertsons employees now on active duty serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive a little taste of home this summer.

On Tuesday Albertsons employees at the company's Boise headquarters donated time during their lunch hour to put together care packages of items donated by the company for each of the company's 200 Guard and Reserve employees who have been called to active duty.

"There are a whole bunch of people over there, and we need to do what we can to support them," said Cassie Henson, a payroll department employee, as she helped pack playing cards in the cardboard boxes that will eventually end up overseas.
While Henson and other employees packed things like disposable cameras, baby wipes, toothpaste, candy, beef jerky and phone calling cards into the care packages, other employees took a few moments to sign a banner of support that will go overseas too.

"I have a son in the Navy and this is a golden opportunity to help out," said Albertsons employee Ty Morrison after writing "God bless" and "thank you" on the banner.
Morrison said her son, who serves in a Navy construction battalion in California, would have been deployed to Iraq had he not been sidelined by a knee injury.

In addition to the care packages and banner, Albertsons is also shipping 185 of its surplus computers to Camp Anaconda, the main Army base in central Iraq.

Albertsons Chairman, CEO and President Larry Johnston, who also spent part of his lunch hour helping assemble the care packages, said the computer donation came about after an employee serving overseas said there was a lack of computers available for the troops.
"After learning that our troops in Iraq often waited hours in line to send e-mail home to their loved ones, it became evident that we could make thousands of Americans' lives easier by simply providing these military personnel better access to e-mail and the Internet," Johnston said.

Besides the care packages, Albertsons has taken extra steps to make sure its Guard and Reserve employees and their families are taken care of while the troops are overseas. The company has agreed to pay the difference between the employee's military and civilian pay and to continue benefits for the employees and their families. "We have about 200 associates deployed right now," Johnston said. "They're doing so much for us and we want to give something back to them."
Earlier this year, the company was recognized for those extra efforts when it was awarded the White House Distinguished Home Front Award for the support of its Guard and Reserve employees.

From: http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040630/NEWS02/406300309/1029