St. Louis businesswoman, Missouri Baptist eases pain of U.S. troops in Iraq
December 22, 2004
ST. LOUIS – One St. Louis businesswoman – and Missouri Baptist – is sending care packages to the American men and women fighting in Iraq.
Dr. Christe Boen, of Boen Chiropractic in Ellisville and a member of West County Community Church, gave incentives to her patients and offered a free adjustment when patients brought in much needed comforts of home.
Patients rose to the occasion and brought in beef jerky, baby wipes, soap, flea collars, Gatorade and many other items. After collecting the goods for several months, 11 boxes weighing over 20 pounds each were packaged and shipped to five soldiers in Iraq. Along with the items Boen enlisted the help from her youth Sunday school class. The girls baked batches of baked goods and put together a book of handwritten notes to encourage them. Among the letters sent was a note from two of Boen’s patients — St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols and wife, Deidre.
This isn’t the first time Boen has sent packages to American soldiers. Last Christmas Boen and her Sunday School class sent Christmas cookies and small Christmas trees along with nativity scenes and decorations to deck the tents of the troops in Korea, Iraq and Kuwait.
“We also sent Valentine’s Day cookies to the troops to show our love and support,” Boen said.
One of the many soldiers touched by the packages was SSgt. Patrick Weisskopf of St. Louis who is stationed in Baghdad. Weisskopf placed his small lit Christmas tree on the dash of his utility vehicle.
“I lit up the streets of Baghdad as I patrolled the city. You could see my lit tree for yards and yards,” Weisskopf said. “For just one hour during the war my troops forgot about the danger that awaited us as we sat and devoured the cookies.”
Boen is encouraging everyone to send packages to the troops.
“If one doctor and her patients can make a difference in the lives of our troops, just imagine what a large company could do to change the circumstances of our soldiers. Just a small token of support could change the morale of our men and women serving abroad. We owe it to them,” she said.