AFUMC sends 6,100+ packs of Oreos to military in Afghanistan

Alpharetta First United Methodist Church has collected more than 6,100 packages of Oreo cookies for U.S. military men and women serving overseas. The church’s annual cookie drive, dubbed Operation Oreo, began with a 2009 chance encounter between Senior Pastor Dr. Don Martin and a young soldier aboard a plane. The soldier was returning from duty in Iraq. When Dr. Martin asked him what he missed most while away, the young man replied, without hesitation, “Oreos, Double Stuffed!” Every summer since then, AFUMC has collected and shipped packages of Oreos to service men and women overseas. The project is a simple way to thank those who stand in harm’s way to protect the United States and our freedoms. 

In 2012 the church collected and mailed approximately 2,500 packages of the cookies. This year, Dr. Martin issued a 3,000-package challenge. The congregation donated 4,636 packages on June 30, placing them at the altar during Sunday worship services. The total swelled to more than 6,100 packages as Oreos were delivered to the church over the next few days.

Alpharetta Methodist’s mission project was adopted by the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and the Alpharetta Lions Club, which collected Oreos from their members and delivered them to the church. Operation Oreo has also become a family tradition for many in the AFUMC congregation. The Jones family, Vic and Sandy and their children Sawyer (12), Elyse (10) and Charlie (9), created a flyer promoting Operation Oreo and distributed it throughout their neighborhood. The children’s efforts resulted in 32 packages of the cookies donated by their neighbors. Vic and Sandy say the project was a great opportunity for the children to give back and learn about serving others.   

Members of the church’s Abiding in the Vine Sunday School class packed 48 boxes of the cookies and delivered them to the post office on July 1. The cookies will be delivered to service members at Forward Operating Base Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan. Additional boxes will be sent in a follow-up shipment.