Servicemen and women stationed overseas received a gift box from home this holiday season through the Adopt a Soldier Project, sponsored by the Parkesburg Lions Club.
As part of the annual effort, club members collected boxes filled with gifts and personal care items, which they delivered to the Parkesburg Post Office on Dec. 13 so that they could be mailed out in time for Christmas.
Past Lions district governor Nancy Gauthier, chair of the Pennsylvania Lions Adopt a Soldier Project, reported that 234 boxes were mailed out to soldiers in Egypt and Kuwait. "We started (the Adopt a Soldier Project) five years ago (after) I read an article in the Lions magazine about a club that was doing something like this, but it was called 'Shoeboxes for Soldiers,'" she said. Gauthier adapted the program to use flat-rate boxes from the post office because shoeboxes come in different sizes.
Along with the individual boxes that each soldier received, an additional 10 boxes were sent overseas containing leftover items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. "I put a note in for the commander to divvy up the (extra) items as needed," Gauthier said.
Gauthier noted that the gift-giving program was a community effort and that many participants contributed to its success. Her daughter, Danielle Gauthier Salada, promoted it to the employees of J.D. Eckman, and they provided boxes as well as cash donations. Parkesburg resident Mike Camburn organized his friends to provide 25 boxes.
Gauthier collected the boxes at her home in Parkesburg. Lions Club members, including Gauthier's husband, Dave, prepared the boxes for shipping. "Several Lions spent many days with me packing boxes - sometimes until late at night," she noted.
Those who provided assistance at the post office included Kaden Salada, Gauthier's grandson; Christiana Lions Club president Jim Groff; Parkesburg Lions Club president Jane Rice; and Parkesburg Lion Mike Rice.
Gauthier was aided in her effort with a $1,000 grant that the club received with the help of Jean Ann Curry from Customers Bank. Gauthier used the money to purchase items for the boxes.
Among the other contributors was Lion Robin McKenna, a teacher at the Octorara Area Elementary School, who had her third- and fourth-grade classes make handmade cards to be placed inside the boxes.
Alison Mannetta's kindergarten class at Octorara also participated in the project by collecting enough supplies to fill three packages that included shampoo, lotion, socks, snacks, playing cards and DVDs. The students also included personal letters in the boxes. "I saw the Lions Club Facebook post about the soldier collection, and I wanted to participate with my class," Mannetta stated in a letter to Dr. Michele Orner, superintendent of the Octorara Area School District, who is also a member of the Lions Club. "We wrote each soldier a letter and colored pictures to include with the packages. It was a great experience for us. We included the school's address in hopes to possibly hear back from one of the package recipients."
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