FORT DRUM — After months of clipping coupons and stockpiling goods, a former soldier will provide care packages to soldiers on post today.

Rebecca G. Connors, Weatherly, Pa., will distribute about 200 gift bags to soldiers at the Post Exchange starting at 10 a.m.

“I am extremely excited to be putting this in place,” Mrs. Connors said. “I really hope that everything goes well.”

Mrs. Connors started her collection as a result of a New Year’s resolution to start using coupons, and supplemented her discounted finds with donations from several companies nationwide. Among the companies supplying products were Healthy to Go, Planters Peanuts, Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce and El Monterey.

“My house is pretty much echoing now that I have everything out,” Mrs. Connors said.

In addition to support from companies nationwide, she’s found support from users of Facebook who have seen her postings about her effort, and in her Pennsylvania hometown.

A local rental company has provided her and her husband with a free van to transport the items, and a raffle conducted among businesses in the town has provided a couple of hundred dollars that will help pay for gas to travel to the post and provide for a few extra gift cards to go into the care packages.

She said that in the months she has planned the giveaway, she has learned about the necessity to plan further in advance, admitting she had held off calls to post officials to help prepare for the giveaway.

Mrs. Connors said she hoped she could continue providing the giveaways on a yearly basis.

She said any items not picked up today will be donated to the post’s USO office.

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