Church sends morale booster to soldiers

For the third year in a row, members of the Church of the Redeemer are sending care packages to U.S. military troops.

The parishioners began gathering supplies on Veterans Day and collected toiletries, snacks, socks, DVDs and books and purchased 550-minute phone cards and Bibles to send to American troops in Afghanistan.

The church, led by David Swain, retired captain with the U.S. Marine Corps, in conjunction with the Military Officers Association of Sarasota, hopes to send 250 boxes to soldiers in time for Christmas.