Overseas soldiers receive care packages for the holidays

ORLANDO, Fla. - For the first time in his 19 years of service, Sgt. Carlos Pagoda received a care package.

He received a card from a 7-year-old that warmed his heart.

"Just to have someone who doesn't know who I am to tell me, 'Thank you for my service. We appreciate your service.' That sends a lot of morale," Sgt. Pagoda said.

He lived in Oviedo, but is now stationed in Germany.

The company Shipthrifty works to help nonprofits send packages to troops overseas.

It recently learned from Pagoda that the training base doesn't normally receive care packages.

The owner of Shipthrifty teamed up with other groups to get packages to the base for the holidays.

Colleen Lyden's husband is also stationed in Germany. She helped deliver the packages.

"These care packages are well thought out," said Colleen Lyden, of the Family Readiness Support Team. "There’s time that goes into them. There’s time that goes into making and writing the cards. And, these soldiers truly can see that and they think, 'Wow, someone actually did this for me.'"