Horse Plains VFW shares a 'little piece of home'
From left, VFW auxiliary members Cindy Gray and Karen Royse talk about the boxing process. (Chuck Bandel/Mineral Independent)
Meralise Nass, President of the VFW, checking off the names of recipients. (Chuck Bandel/Mineral Independent)
VFW Auxiliary members assemble boxes for shipping gifts to members of the U.S. armed forces. (Chuck Bandel/Mineral Independent)
For the past four decades, Meralise Nass has been doing her part in making sure local military members get a “little piece of home” during the holidays.
Together with other volunteers from the Horse Plains VFW Auxiliary Post 3592 in Plains, they have collected goodies, toiletries and other items, boxed them up and sent them to active duty personnel throughout the United States and overseas.
On the last Monday of November since 1980, they have packaged and sent hundreds of “care” packages to hopefully remind those serving in the U.S. armed forces that folks are thinking of them. They expect to send at least 20 boxes this year.
“We get lists from the national headquarters with suggestions on what to send,” Nass said. “We also get requests from military families throughout this area. We try to answer all those requests as best as we can.”
Among the items requested by the troops and their families are chip-like snacks, cookies, small boxes of cereal, granola and energy bars, peanut butter, candy and various kinds of drinks like Powerade and Kool Aid.
Also making their way into the gift boxes are body wash, toothpaste and tooth brushes and a wide variety of common hygiene products. High on the miscellaneous items list are hometown newspapers, sports news publications, paper and envelopes. Troops also request Christmas decorations and cards.
Nass said the costs associated with the project are mostly met by donations of cash and items on the list.
By mid-morning the volunteers had created a small assembly line of goods to be loaded into boxes being prepared by another group of Auxiliary members. Nass and others documented the progress and prepared mailing labels for the boxes.
“These folks are away from home and have been, in some cases, for years,” Nass said. “They are often deployed where they can’t get the basic things on our lists.”
Nass said the 106-member strong Auxiliary takes great pride in the gift box project.
“This helps them know we are thinking of them,” she said. “We often put Christmas cards and goodies in with the other items to make sure they have something for Christmas.”
So far the group has prepared and sent packages to Washington, California and other stateside posts. The boxes are usually sent to the unit chaplain who distributes them to the service members.