Operation Cup of Joe back in action

SAUGUS-Police officers will be out in force stopping traffic next week, but drivers should fear not – all they want is help buying a cup of Joe.Police Officer James Scott is launching the second annual “Operation Cup of Joe” to raise funds aimed at sending coffee to service men and women serving overseas.Scott created the program last year after having coffee with a friend who had recently returned from an overseas tour of duty. Scott said he mentioned how much he missed Dunkin’ Donuts coffee – and that was all it took. In 10 days, the crew raised $5,700 by passing helmets to travelers sitting in traffic.Like last year, Scott and his band of volunteers, many in blue and many just wanting to help out, will hang in front of the Dunkin’ Donuts on Route 1 south next to Route 1 Miniature Golf and Batting Cages from 6-10 a.m. today through Sunday Nov. 16.”During the weekend it might start a little later because it will be the Wakefield soccer team and my daughter and her friends out there collecting,” he said with a chuckle.Scott admitted last year that he picked the location banking on the fact there would be rush hour back ups and it worked.For his inaugural event, Scott said he probably bought too much coffee but it worked out so well he was sending nearly a case a month to a marine medical outfit that had set up a coffee bar called “Rotor Joes.””I sent them about a case a month almost all year,” he said.Scott said the downturn in the economy has him a little nervous, but he has a strong suspicion that things will work out.With donations Scott will purchase Dunkin’ Donuts coffee to include in care packages sent from Hansom Air Force Base and will work with carepacks.org out of Weymouth as well. Care Packs is a non-profit organization dedicated solely to sending care packages to troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.Scott said he has also registered with the state for non-profit status and is working on doing the same with the federal government. He has also been able to purchase the domain name www.operationcupofjoe.com where people can get information, updates and hear about the thank you letters he’s received from the recipients of the coffee packages.Aside from donations, however, Scott said he is also looking for APO addresses for soldiers serving overseas to send packages to.”They can drop addresses of people deployed at the collection site or they can email me,” Scott said.The organization’s email address is [email protected] and donations or addresses can also be sent to or dropped off at the Saugus Federal Credit Union, 448 Lincoln Ave. in care of Operation Cup of Joe.