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Soldiers love receiving Iowa beef sticks

She’s known as the “Beef Stick Lady”.  

Her name is Dee Ann Paulsrud of Danbury in west-central Iowa. From their farmhouse kitchen, Dee Ann and her husband, Ted, run “Beef’ n Up the Troops,” a project that ships free Iowa-made beef sticks to U.S. soldiers serving overseas.

Since starting the project three years ago, Paulsrud says they have sent 76-thousand beef sticks to troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas military bases.  The beef sticks are produced by Triple T Specialty Meats in Ackley, Iowa.

Dee Ann says it’s all made possible by the generous donations they receive.

“From private individuals, churches, 4-H clubs, FFA’s, Farm Bureau, cattlemen groups, church lady groups—oh my goodness, I could go on and on,” says Paulsrud.

Dee Ann donates her time to the project as well. 

“I volunteer my time and it’s with honor and joy,” she says. “I do not have anyone currently serving in my immediate family.  However, my husband did—my oldest son did—and my dad was a survivor of World War II.  I did this out of honor and respect for my dad.”

Paulsrud says they receive a lot of help from other people as well, including the 185^th Air Refueling Wing out of Sioux City, Iowa, which transports the beef sticks overseas.   

And the rewards—Dee Ann says she gets numerous cards and thank-you notes from soldiers, including a recent letter from a soldier from Clear Lake, Iowa.  “He sent me a picture of the soldiers on Thanksgiving Day.  Some of them had received the beef sticks—and he wrote ‘the support from home is one of the reasons we take pride in the mission that our country has placed in front of us—and we would be honored to be able to return the favor you have done for us’,” Paulsrud says. “This is what really gets me—here I am trying to send them beef sticks to help them, and now they want to help me back.  That just really is amazing.”

As long as the donations keep coming, Dee Ann says they will continue sending the beef sticks to the troops.  Donations can be sent to Beef’n Up the Troops, 4980 320^th Street, Danbury, IA, 51019-8505.  Dee Ann can be reached at 712-883-2249.

As a side note—for her efforts, Dee Ann was recently honored with the 2009 Iowa Farm Bureau Woman in Agriculture Award.

 AUDIO: Dee Ann Paulsrud

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