Many families have someone serving in the military who will not be home this holiday season to celebrate with loved ones.

These individuals are currently serving our country in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries around the world. They volunteered to protect and serve our country.

Thanks to the generosity of The Press readers, businesses, fire companies, clubs and others, military personnel will have something to smile about this Christmas.

You embraced the Keystone Military Families’ Stockings for Soldiers project, where we collected stockings, Christmas hats, toiletries, snacks, gloves, pet treats and toys, and so much more. Our offices were filled every day with items generously donated by our staff and you, our readers.

In addition, you wrote checks to Keystone Military Families to cover the cost of shipping the care packages to the troops.

Our coordinator for the Pencor family of businesses was Cindy Mellinger, with Blue Ridge Communications.

“Due to your outpouring of support, we far exceeded our totals from 2015, and our servicemen and women will receive a loving reminder from home over the Christmas season,” Mellinger said. “These gifts will serve as powerful messages of joy and hope to our men and women serving around the world, as they are so appreciative of the many expressions of kindness.”

Mellinger said thanks to the kindness of many, the Blue Ridge Communications collection center contribution weighed in at more than 8,000 pounds of donations, 13,000 cards and $18,000 for shipping costs.

“We collected over 2,000 pounds more than 2015, doubled the number of cards and tripled the shipping and handling,” Mellinger said.

Keystone Military Families is a 100-percent volunteer nonprofit organization. Its mission is “to provide caring support for deployed military members in all branches of service to our country, no matter where they are stationed in the world. This is accomplished through letters, cards, care packages and special holiday packages to raise their spirits and show them America has not forgotten them.”

The organization, based in Shoemakersville, Berks County, was started in 2002 by Kyle Lord as a way to maintain communication with local troops deployed after 9/11. It provides a place for family members of those deployed to gather for support. When donations received are not appropriate to send to the troops, they are instead sent to the local armories so any of the families struggling financially can get assistance with food and other items.

Keystone Military Families currently serves 40 to 60 families weekly with food, clothing, household goods and furniture while still shipping care packages and Christmas stockings to troops around the world.

This was the case when one of our readers asked if she could donate Christmas decorations to a Keystone Military family. The donations of glass ornaments and other decorations will be given to military families in need. After dropping the donations at our office, she returned home to discover a friend had left an artificial tree at her house for a military family.

Another church group started early in the season by filling stockings and gathering pet items to be sent to the troops.

A local fire company donated money for shipping.

The kindness shown by our readers has been overwhelming. This is the second year for The Press to participate and the seventh year for our sister company, Blue Ridge Communications, to coordinate all Pencor donations. At The Press, we certainly collected more items and donated more money for shipping than in 2015.

“This year’s enthusiasm and dedication to this project was unparalleled. It was such an amazing display of what can happen when a community comes together to show their support for our friends and neighbors away from home. These gifts will surely convey the spirit of Christmas and the warmest wishes of the holiday season to every military member who receives them. Thank you again so very much for the incredible support,” Lord said.

Keystone Military Families states the organization is not about the politics or the war ... “We are about taking care of our families, friends and neighbors who are far from home. Everyone today knows someone who is deployed, was deployed or will be deployed. Our troops give us the freedom to be safe in our homes, and they deserve to serve their time with at least some of the small comforts we all enjoy every day.”

I couldn’t agree more.

On behalf of The Press, please accept our sincere thanks for making the holidays a little better for our troops.

I wish you all a most joyous holiday season.

Debbie Galbraith

editor

East Penn Press

Salisbury Press