|
CINCINNATI (April 10, 2008) - It's reasonable to think
servicemembers deployed the world over might be missing Girl Scout
cookies again this year, but that's not necessarily the case.
More than 150 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines soon will be
enjoying Girl Scout cookies and other goodies thanks to the Thank
You Foundation and several members of the greater Cincinnati
community.
"This was a real community effort," said John Guinn, president
and founder of the Thank You Foundation. "Students from St.
Margaret of York [School] collected items, and several Girl Scout
troops donated cookies. Senior citizens from the Lebanon Country
Manor helped pack up the boxes."
Seventh-grade students at St. Margaret of York in Loveland,
Ohio, spent two weeks last month collecting care package items for
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Our U.S. troops in Iraq have sacrificed so much for our
country's freedom so it was a wonderful feeling for me to have the
opportunity to be able to give back to them," said Marisa Pike, one
of the seventh-graders who participated. "It's great to be part of
a school that encourages students to serve others in their
need."
Her classmates agreed the project has given them a new
appreciation and perspective for the sacrifices servicemembers
make, as well as the importance of volunteerism.
"This project really helped me understand that one person can
really make a difference," said Sarah Wandtke, also a
seventh-grader at the school. "It feels really great to know that
you are helping someone. I hope we can do this again next
year."
In addition to the items collected by the school, Girl Scout
Troop 8238 in Landen donated 300 boxes of cookies, and Troop 41865
of Bethany School in Glendale added at least another 50 boxes,
Guinn said.
Kim Robinson, a Lebanon Country Manor employee, has both a son
and son-in-law in Iraq. She, along with the seniors from the manor
and her daughter and daughter-in-law, helped pack the boxes for the
Thank You Foundation.
"I know personally what it means to the men and women serving
over there to get these packages from home," Robinson said. "We try
to do all we can to let them know they are loved and in our
thoughts and prayers."
Over the last several months, the Thank You Foundation has sent
several hundred care packages to troops and has worked with other
groups in the Cincinnati area to send clothing, school supplies,
and toys to children in Iraq.
In addition, the foundation has focused efforts on providing
financial support for the families of wounded and disabled soldiers
in Cincinnati and across the country. In January that support
helped a disabled Vietnam veteran visit his dying mother in
Texas.
"We do what we can to help where other organizations can't,"
Guinn said. "Care packages are really just a small part of the many
things we try to do to say thank you."
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals,
groups and organizations that are helping support the troops,
visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America
Supports You directly connects military members to the support of
the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their
quest to find meaningful ways to support the military
community.
|
