SOMERVILLE – Operation Shoebox New Jersey will commemorate its 12th anniversary at the VFW, 600 Washington Ave., Manville on Feb. 18, 2017 and invites all volunteers to help assemble care packages for shipment overseas to deployed US troops around the world.

The volunteer organization expects to pack 1,200 or more care packages.

The event begins at 11 a.m.

Operation Shoebox New Jersey, founded on Feb. 3, 2005, has packed and shipped over 125,000 care packages since its inception. The statewide organization has never had to purchase any of the contents that go into the boxes, relying on schools, churches, civic groups, senior citizen organization, large and small companies for donations.

Volunteers also collect donations outside supermarkets on the weekends throughout central New Jersey. The next shopping sprees are March 11 & 12 at the Stop&Shop of Piscataway, 501 Stelton Ave., 930 am-330 pm both days.