How to Ship / FAQs

Here is a link for important info about packing and shipping, and the customs form (which will double as your shipping label). NOTE - in Box 10- if non-deliverable, check "redirect to address below" and add "any local chaplain".

Please use a FREE Military Flat Rate Large box- available from the Post office- also get a customs form while you are there. This box costs $11.95 to ship no matter the weight and is usually much less expensive than any other box.

Add a card, as you would to a pen pal! Also, on the mailing label include Operation Baking Gals along with your name and address in the "from" line. In addition to your customs mailing label, USPS asks that to soldier's name/address info also be written directly on the box.

Here are some more personal tips from a mom who sends goodies-"Most things such as cookies, muffins, cupcakes, loaf quickbreads, I use my Seal a Meal. I seal them as far as I can without smashing them. Then pack them in a box of styrofoam peanuts. Typical way of boxing them. Oh, I also FREEZE them first!! Just to make them last a few extra days. My son said he forgot about some muffins once for 3 weeks since they were out on a mission, and they were just as fresh as freshly baked! So I don't know if it was the Seal a Meal or not. But I would say just pack them as protected as possible. Don't bother to send anything chocolate as it will melt no matter how you try it.
With the seal a meal, everything somehow is compact and able to layer things easily. So that's how I do it. Without it, it'd be a lot of packing in layers of styrofoam wrappings
I freeze then after I seal them, that way I can stack them all up in the freezer to save space. I do a lot of baking on some days and process a bunch of stuff, and then when I send out a package I pull out whatever I have in there. I also seal and freeze things like Little Debbie treat, etc.
Oh, I also, eve though it's a lot more work, seal up like individual size package. Such as 6 cookies to a pack, or 2 muffins. So in case my son is passing something out or someone is there when he's opening a package, he can just toss them cookies, muffins without giving them ALL the goodies!."
Note- I used my food vac and sucked as much air out, before they started to smash. - but didn't freeze. Please remember to NOT send any pork products or meltables- chips in cookies seem to be ok at some times of the year, but when it is summer you may want to use candy coated chips as it gets quite HOT!

WooHoo!!!
We had great show of support for our soldier, Doug of Bay Village, Ohio, a fire and rescue airman stationed in Iraq. I want to send a sincere thank you to all of you who baked! We sent our soldier so much love!
I heard back from Doug's mom Laurie, after he received a couple of the first boxes.
"Yea !!!!! Doug called this morning from Iraq...he just received the
cookies in two seperate boxes....he said they were consumed within
minutes as he shared them with others. An F-18 airplane exploded on
base last night and they had been working for 11 hours controlling the
fire and haz- mat materials. He has lost 15 lbs since Sept. so the
cookies were so appreciated. I hope he will write or email you, but
do know how awesome you gals are for doing this for our military men
and women. Not only did this show Christ to Doug but it was such a
blessing to ME since last year we did Bravery Boxes and Doug was
stateside at MacDill AFB in Tampa land now someone did it for my son
this year !!!! God is GOOD....
Blessings to you and all your bakers !!!

Christmas is coming and it won't take much to bake a few dozen extra cookies for a soldier. We will be sending again before Christmas and we would LOVE for you to join our effort! Send me an email if you would like more info.
If you have a soldier you would like us to bake for in the coming months, PLEASE drop me a line.

Getting Up to Speed!>>>

We are getting ready to send our first shipment to our soldier. I wanted to let those who have inquired if we are accepting soldiers' names- the answer is a resounding YES! Please email me (zimmOhio@aol.com) the name of your soldier and we will be honored to fit him into one of our months ahead.
Thanks to everyone for all the support!

OH Bakes Introduction-Join Us in Baking for Local Troops Stationed Overseas

Calling All Northern Ohio Bakers!
Hi! My name is Fran Z and I live in Northern Ohio. I have been a member of Operation Baking Gals (started by Susan of the blog I'm Becoming DoughMessTic), a great group whose mission has been bombarding our troops overseas with homemade cookies and care packages.
Recently, you may have heard that another of our local soldiers was killed in action- Capt. Mike Medders, Jr. of Avon Lake. So heartbreaking - but Capt. Medders knew the realities he would face at war and chose to enlist anyway. Nothing less than a true American hero. I did not know Capt. Medders personally, but I went to high school with his mom, Lynn, and worked at one time with his dad, Mike.
While I was attending services for Capt Medders I had the chance to talk to a few parents of servicemen and women and told them about the mission of Operation Baking Gals. The people I talked to were so supportive of our little group and encouraged me more by telling me that a lot of soldiers actually receive very few packages from home.
That being said, I emailed Susan and received her blessing to start a more localized group. The plan is to get a group of Ohio bakers, moms, families, and any others who are interested in baking once a month, and send care packages to local servicemen and women stationed overseas. Initially we will all send to one soldier each month, with a new soldier picked each month (to see how this plays out).
If you get a free Military Flat Rate box from the post office, it cost $10.95 to ship all you can fit into the box.
So, I am looking for some volunteers.Would you join the effort?? Could you maybe bake one thing, seal it up and ship it to him? Maybe get a group together to send a box? Would you spread the word??? We all do this on the same week, so he’ll get them all about the same time. Imagine how happy all those homesick troops will be to have homemade goodies!! You can make anything you want, and you really only need to wrap it in plastic and then a freezer bag (with a piece of bread to soak up moisture) or, if you have a vacuum sealer, that would be great. It takes about 7 days for them to get packages, so bear that in mind when choosing something to bake. Cookies of all kinds, bars, even things like trail mix would work well. Anything except pork or meltables!
Please just shoot me a quick email back (zimmOhio@aol.com) letting me know if you are up for this (I really hope you are, I know we Clevelanders and Ohioans have big hearts – and hey – get the kids in on it too – make it a family affair - let them see the lift we get from giving!)
Once I hear from you, I will supply you with the address to send the goodies and any other pertinent information.
Thanks for taking the time to hear me out. I really do appreciate it. And while we may not be cheerleaders, I think this could be a really great morale boosting endeavor…don’t you agree??