V.F.W. Auxiliary gets in holiday spirit

It all came to a head Monday as wives, widows, and daughters of servicemen, who have been working since October, prepared care packages to be sent to soldiers and units abroad and statewide. 24 boxes were put together, filled with magazines, hygiene items, snacks, candies, handmade letters from Plains Elementary, crosswords and books, all of which was donated or bought by the ladies.

    The history of the care packages made by the Plains VFW dates back at least 70 years. Maralise Nass, the organizer, explained that when the train stopped in town, the VFW would bring food to the soldiers as they waited on the platform. Eventually as the train ceased to stop in town, the VFW turned their feeding of the soldiers into the annual care package event held around this time of year.

    To make the care packages, it was something that was personal for many of the ladies present or had helped gather the items for the boxes. Kelly Burch, who has a brother and father in the army, mentioned, “I think it is important that they know we still support them and that they enjoy the holidays.” Burch helped collect handmade holiday cards from the members of the VFW in Thompson falls.

    For some of the ladies present, it was at least their 30th year participating in the making of the care packages. The packages they were putting together were actually going to many family members in the service. A select number were being sent to service family members to disperse amongst their unit. Bede Frye, who has member of the auxiliary since 1981, calmly, but with verve said, “I have three children in the service... It keeps them in contact with the community... It comes from home with love.”

    In support of her friends, who are members of the Plains VFW, Susan Caldwell helped fill the boxes. She has a son and grandson in the military. She believes that filling the boxes and sending them is very meaningful and important. Her son and grandson have told her that it is very important, and that they wish for the boxes to be sent to others in the service.

    The ladies had the goods all organized accordingly to their classification and when the boxes arrived, they were filled in minutes. Nass remarked that, “Hopefully we will come up with at least 30 or more between now and next week.”