A group of dedicated volunteers in Solvang is working to make sure U.S. service members stationed in some of the most remote parts of the world know they’re not forgotten this holiday season.
Once a month, volunteers gather inside the American Legion Hall to assemble care packages filled with donated supplies. The items are sent to small, remote military units that often don’t have access to basic comforts found on larger bases.
For volunteer Mientje D’Arelli, the effort is deeply personal.
“The reason I got involved is because I have family that was in the military and also friends and just know how much they give of themselves around the world and to find out that there’s a lot of troops in remote areas, small groups of troops in remote areas that don’t have the same support as a large military base,” D’Arelli said.
D’Arelli brought her children with her for the first time this month, hoping to teach them the importance of giving during the holidays.
“It’s just there’s so much you receive during Christmas that it’s just important to instill the idea that it’s really about what you can give,” she said.
The project, called “We Support the Troops, Inc.,” was started in 2004 by Patricia Sullivan, a retired Air Force colonel. She said the focus has always been on supporting service members who are deployed in isolated areas, sometimes without access to stores, supply centers, or even regular mail.
“I have to go around to different groups and see if they have any sons or daughters deployed,” Sullivan said. “We want to let them know they are not forgotten.”
But this year, Sullivan said things look different. The holiday shipments normally include about 200 boxes. This year, the number dropped sharply.
“This Christmas packing, we send around 200 boxes; we’re down to around 80,” she said.
D’Arelli said the shortage is noticeable inside the hall.
“Today, as you can see, we are having to be kind of creative because these tables aren’t full of all the donations we normally get,” she said.
Longtime volunteer Barry Kuntz, who has helped pack boxes for six years, said the decline in donations is making the work more difficult.
“It’s getting harder and harder to find things to be able to have enough to pack things overseas,” Kuntz said.
Before each box is sealed, volunteers place a handwritten note inside, a simple message meant to remind service members that people back home are thinking of them.
“Our troops need to know they are appreciated and that we’re thinking of them, particularly during this time of the year,” Sullivan said through tears.
The organization is entirely volunteer-run and relies on community support to meet the needs of deployed service members. Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can email highmeadow1@verizon.net or visit www.we-support-the-troops.com for more information.
