Sheckler Elementary School faculty and staff were in the giving mood this holiday season. According to Principal Eric Dauberman, they donated $175 to benefit the Keystone Military Families Stockings for Soldiers initiative.

Dauberman noted one of Sheckler Elementary’s teacher’s aides, Shelly Alexander, headed up the effort. Alexander organized a dress down day at the school, with the intention of sending the money to Stockings for Soldiers.

“Your donation will help make Christmas a little more enjoyable for our deployed men and women who cannot be home for the holidays,” said Kyle Lord, program founder.

Lord began the program in 2002, when her son’s unit was being deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Lord created a website where friends and family could keep in touch with their loved ones overseas and soldiers could see things were also being taken care of at home.

Other units from Pennsylvania began asking if they, too, could use the website. By 2003, Lord was receiving requests from military families asking for basic essentials to be shipped to the troops.

To date, this initiative has helped thousands of troops serving this country. All requests come directly from the troops, their families or someone who knows a military member who could use some support from home.

Keystone Military Families’ 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.

Cindy Mellinger, marketing and community relations coordinator for Blue Ridge Communications, noted the company collected 5 tons of donations, including food, hygiene and other items. They also collected 25,000 signed cards with Christmas messages showing support for military personnel. More than $35,000 was raised to help defray shipping costs for the packages.

According to Mellinger, this was the 10th year Blue Ridge Communications collected for the Keystone Military Families Stockings for Soldiers initiative.

Blue Ridge Communications is a member of the Pencor family of companies, which includes Lehigh Valley Press.