In April 2024, I had the privilege of acquiring Hero Care Packages.
While an acquisition is technically a business transaction, this one felt like something much more personal. It was the opportunity to protect an important mission, honor the story behind it and build upon a company created specifically to support our deployed service members and the people who love them.
Built From Personal Experience
Hero Care Packages was founded by U.S. Navy veteran Jack Wray.
During his time in the Navy, Jack saw firsthand what mail call meant to sailors who had been away from home for months. When a ship pulled into port, sailors would wait in line for hours for the chance to receive a package.
Some received a box filled with familiar snacks, useful essentials and reminders that someone at home was thinking about them.
Others received nothing.
Even when a package arrived, it did not always contain items the service member could use or enjoy. Families wanted to send something meaningful, but figuring out what to include, what was permitted and how to ship to an APO or FPO address could feel confusing and overwhelming.
Jack created Hero Care Packages to solve that problem.
His goal was simple but important: make it easier for families and friends to send care packages that deployed service members genuinely want and need.
Why I Chose to Carry the Mission Forward
I have spent years building gifting companies and helping people create meaningful connections through thoughtful products. I understand that a gift is never just a collection of things inside a box.
A gift says, “I see you.”
It says, “I appreciate you.”
For a deployed service member, it also says, “You have not been forgotten.”
That is what made Hero Care Packages so special to me.
When the opportunity arose to acquire the company, I knew its original purpose needed to remain at the center of everything we did. This was not about replacing Jack’s vision. It was about honoring it, expanding it and making it easier for even more people to support the heroes in their lives.
Alex and I are proud to carry that mission forward.
Our work is dedicated to our fathers, John Pietro and Victor Quintana, both of whom served with honor. Their service gives this company an even deeper personal meaning for our family.
Every package we prepare is a tribute to those who serve and to the families, friends, coworkers and communities standing behind them.
The Same Mission With New Ways to Give
Since acquiring Hero Care Packages, we have continued to develop easier and more personalized ways to send support.
Customers can choose a ready-made care package filled with thoughtfully selected products, or they can build a completely customized package based on their recipient’s personality, preferences and needs.
We also manage the APO and FPO shipping process. You do not have to become an expert in military mail restrictions or wonder whether you completed an address correctly. We help make the experience straightforward from the moment you begin building the package until it is on its way.
Our growing collection includes food and beverages, personal-care products, games, journals, activities and greeting cards. Customers can create a package for one specific service member, donate a package, purchase a subscription or create a wishlist that can be shared with family and friends.
We have also expanded our corporate and team-building programs, giving companies and organizations a meaningful way to bring people together while supporting deployed military personnel.
The options may continue to grow, but the purpose behind them will not change.
Thoughtful, Useful and Personal
We believe the best care packages strike the right balance between practical and personal.
They should include things a deployed service member can actually use. They should also contain moments of comfort, fun and familiarity.
That might mean a favorite snack, a personal-care essential, a game to share, a journal for quiet moments or a handwritten message from home.
Every recipient is different. That is why personalization remains such an important part of Hero Care Packages.
Our job is not simply to fill a box.
Our job is to help you send a moment of home.
Looking Ahead
Acquiring Hero Care Packages gave us the responsibility of protecting a company built from genuine military experience.
We take that responsibility seriously.
As we move forward, we will continue listening to service members, military families and our customers. We will keep improving the products we offer, simplifying the shipping process and creating new ways for individuals and organizations to show their support.
We are honored to continue what Jack started.
To every service member who receives one of our packages, thank you for your service.
To the families and friends sending love across the miles, thank you for trusting us to help deliver it.
And to everyone supporting this next chapter of Hero Care Packages, thank you for helping us make sure more of our heroes experience the excitement of mail call.
Same mission. New chapter. Always sent with heart.
