From left, North Shore Business Association President Deb Clarke, Ginny Craven of Operation Tango Mike and North Shore Business Association member Joanne Breton, owner of Judy's Junction in Upper Lake, Calif.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Hopefully, most of us enjoyed a comfortable Thanksgiving dinner with family or friends, sharing those holiday treats and eats.

We traveled far or stayed home to visit with loved ones, enjoyed each other's stories or had lively political conversations. Some ended well, others maybe not but we were all together.

However across the world, many soldiers were craving those simple pleasures.

Yes, there is a certain amount of camaraderie in the military but those comforts of home are sorely missed.

This is where Operation Tango Mike comes in for our troops.

We often see the containers with the eagle and flag logo in Lake County shops. We drop our spare change in the jars, knowing it is for our men and women serving our country overseas. Many put their leftover Halloween candy in local barrels. You always wonder who is behind this good deed.

North Shore Business Association was lucky to have this organization's leader Ginny Craven, as a speaker in November. She shared this wonderful program, started for a friend who had been called to duty in the Middle East.

It was simple enough, sending him a care package filled with treats, foot powder and other necessities most people take for granted. A comrade noticed the package and mentioned he would like to receive something, anything.

Many years later, it has become a full blown program with monthly packing parties at Umpqua bank in Lakeport, barrels in local shops, and letter writing campaigns.

As members sat and listened to Operation Tango Mike stories, they could see how many cannot say no to helping this special organization.

During the presentation, Craven picked up a batch of items collected at a recent North Shore Business Association social at the Lake County Wine Studio.

North Shore Business Association will have a barrel at the tree lighting parade in Upper Lake on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Please come by our booth and drop something off to brighten up a soldier's day.

If you miss the parade, you can always bring something to Judy's Junction or other places around the lake. Items must be sealed to be sent to our troops in priority boxes.

You can visit Operation Tango Mike on Facebook or call Ginny Craven at 707-349-2838.