When single mom Paula Stano’s only son, Jordan Viches, went into the Marines straight out of Wiregrass Ranch High in 2013, the only way she could communicate with him was via old-fashioned letter writing.
Jordan told his mom that receiving the letters “felt like Christmas,” but that some of his friends never got any letters at all. So, Paula started writing letters to Marines other than her son as well.
That became the beginning of a journey that has led her to where she is now, as the founder and president of the STANO Foundation, a 501(3)c non-profit organization that sends care packages to members of the military who are deployed and stationed both in the U.S. and abroad.
As her son’s military career continued and she became aware of needs of his fellow Marines, she began soliciting donations from friends and acquaintances. Jordan was stationed abroad in Japan, but some of his friends were deployed to countries such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, so she started sending them packages.
“They would ask for things like two-ply toilet paper or black crew socks,” she says, “or a certain kind of cracker or chips or candy they couldn’t get where they were stationed.”
So, as her efforts grew, she created the STANO Foundation (which is her last name developed into an acronym: Supporting Troops Area-wide, Nationally and Overseas), and her efforts continue to be supported by the community and continue to reach more members of the military in more areas.
“We send out packages every month now,” she explains. “We reach out to the community and ask if they have loved ones stationed in the United States or overseas, and then we send them packages.”
Paula says that, twice a year, the foundation sends out an especially large number of packages. First and foremost, prior to Christmas, about 600 boxes are mailed. In late June and early July, roughly halfway through the year and just before the time we celebrate Independence Day, the STANO foundation sends out another 300 boxes.
“We make sure each person gets an individual box,” she says. “We ask them about the things they miss the most, their favorite snacks and allergies, and then we try to accommodate each person’s individual needs.”
While her efforts grew from simple letter writing into an official nonprofit serving hundreds of troops, the operation is still based out of her Wesley Chapel townhouse. At our press time, she was getting ready for her big July shipment.
“You should see my living room right now,” she says. “It’s amazing.”
It takes an incredible effort, a lot of donations of supplies, and additional donations to pay for the shipping.
“Shipping is our largest expense,” Paula says. “It will cost $6,000 to ship the boxes in July,” which means her cost is closer to $12,000 at Christmas time.
Paula is thrilled that Tech Data, based in Clearwater, has partnered with her to pay for shipping the July boxes and also to collect many of the items that need to be donated.
She’s reaching out to the community to solicit the additional donated items and to provide the funding for boxes that are shipped throughout the rest of the year.
A supply list can be found on the STANO Foundation website at STANO.org. Some of the most wanted items include sunflower seeds, beef jerky, protein powder, travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste and deodorant, to name just a few.
“Items can be dropped off at Ideal Massage (in the Summergate Professional Park) in Wesley Chapel (behind Sam’s Club) or people can contact me and any of our Board members will do a pick-up of items that you would like to donate.”
Anyone who would like to sign up a loved one in the military to receive a package from the STANO Foundation also can do so via the same website.
Jordan is still an active duty Marine, currently stationed in Moscow.
“He’s loving it, and I’m hoping to go see him in September,” she says, adding that Jordan is one of the foundation’s Board members, helping the foundation to know who needs what and help make sure the packages meet the needs of those who receive them.
“There’s no way I could do this by myself,” she says. “It really does take a village.”
For more information, visit STANO.org or find the foundation’s Facebook page by searching “STANO Foundation.”
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