18,000 Books Headed Overseas For American Troops

Jason and Jeanne McLaughlin, owners of The Thrifty Peanut and Media Warehouse locations in Shreveport and Bossier, are finally about to see their dream to fruition.  That dream is “Books For Troops” and Friday, July 22^nd at 9am, those “Books For Troops” will be headed overseas to American servicemen and women.  According to their website the whole thing started in August 2010.

"It all started with a single vet that is a regular customer of ours here at The Thrifty Peanut...  He returned from Iraq, and came into the Bossier City store while I was there, and looked as if he was in full blown DT's (withdrawal symptoms).  I knew he had recently returned from Iraq, so I was a little concerned and asked him what was wrong... He explained that he hadn't read a good book in about a year!  When I inquired further, I was surprised to learn that books were actually pretty scarce over in Iraq, and for a reader, reading a good book is like breathing...
This incident made me start thinking, and I determined that if I couldn't help them out by going to over there myself, I could at least get some books and send them to the troops.  Thus, our "Books for Troops" campaign was born...The goal was to collect donated books & DVD’s to be sent to the troops, and at the end of the campaign, we matched everything donated, book for book and DVD for DVD to DOUBLE what we sent."

People from all over Shreveport/Bossier City donated.  In the end, after The Thrifty Peanut doubled the donation, the total came to an amazing 18,000.

Soldier’s Angels, a national organization that sends thousands of care packages to our troops, decided to come here personally with a U-Haul truck to pick up the books and take them back to their warehouse in San Antonio, where they will place a few books in each care package they send out all over Iraq & Afghanistan.

This will all be happening on July 22 at 9am, at the Dan-Tyl Storage place – at 4112 Benton Road.

Lots of local dignitaries will be on hand for this event and the public is invited as well to come witness the “goodness” of the Ark-La-Tex first hand.

We salute you Thrifty Peanut!  Thank you for being such incredible neighbors!  Job well done!