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Student Santas stuff stockings

Eagles rally to support overseas troops with holiday care packages

Published: Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Updated: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 13:11

zakeya_mclean_shanna_ngha

Morgan Crutchfield/Echo staff photographer

Nursing freshman Zakeya Mclean (left) and social work freshman Shanna Ngha work to make the holiday season brighter for servicemen and women stationed abroad.

During the holidays our attention turns to friends and family who are unable to be with us for the season.

Often these people include American military men and women serving overseas.

On Veteran's Day during the 10:40 break, College Students for Military Families and Paula Perez's Dimensions of Learning class collaborated with a non-profit organization called Heroes Under God to show their support for veterans by stuffing stockings to send to U.S. soldiers.

CSFMF was created a year ago under the advisement of Perez.  The group's purpose is an advocacy organization which pays honors to personnel deployed overseas and their families left behind.

Heroes Under God was created two years ago, also to support the troops.

Perez was assisted by her human science graduate assistant, Nerissa Withers, and public health education senior Clarissa Davis.

The Dimensions of Learning students had the option of giving stockings, donating at least a dollar or helping to stuff the stockings.

Approximately 40 stockings were stuffed with such items as facial tissue, hand sanitizer, candy canes, chewing gum, raisins, ramen noodles, vienna sausages, hot chocolate, razors, wet wipes, headphones, batteries, sunscreen, socks, lotion, baby powder, soap, Q-tips, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

The stockings also including leisure items such as playing cards and Sudoku puzzles.

The students added personal cards with written messages to each stocking.

"I'm glad to send off gifts of joy and I really enjoyed this wonderful experience in helping you enjoy your Christmas," wrote criminal justice freshman Quiana Capers.

Capers' classmates shared her excitement.

"I'm excited to do something to support the troops. Hope you appreciate everything we have done," wrote nursing freshman Zakeya Mclean. "God bless and Merry Christmas."

Program organizers of said they wanted to let our service people know how much they are appreciated during the entire year.

"The project was to show the veterans that we are thankful and appreciative of their sacrifices for our freedom," said Perez.

CSFMF's goal is to focus on the troops three times a year — Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Their next project is the Adopt-A-Family for Christmas, in which a family creates a wish list and students purchase the items.

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