Posted on 12/14/2005 6:41:38 PM PST by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — More than 500 children of GIs are looking for special elves to brighten their Christmas this year.
For the second consecutive year, Army civilians, contractors and soldiers involved in the fort’s unmanned aerial system training center have become Santa’s helpers, stepping up and providing 62 bicycles that were on the wish list of some of the children.
Jim Callahan, site manager for Anteon, who headed up the Christmas project, said the bike request tops last year’s 48 requests.
Besides Anteon, Don Patterson Associates, a subcontractor to Anteon, Department of the Army civilians and soldiers of Company E, 305th Military Intelligence Battalion, donated $3,500 for the bicycles, Callahan said. Money is continuing to come in.
On Tuesday, the bikes, ranging in size for toddlers to teens, were handed over to the installation chaplain and the outreach ministry’s director.
While about 17 more bikes are needed, Callahan said the need will be filled before time comes to hand out the gifts.
Chaplain (Col.) Doug Kinder and Jo Moore, director of the chaplain’s outreach ministry, accepted the bikes.
Kinder said many people do not know that younger soldiers — the junior enlisted men and women — sometimes have a hard time making ends meet. This is especially true regarding families who have to live off post, he said.
A soldier told Kinder that he spends most of his pay for rent and utilities, leaving little for other items, including food. And the soldier said his wife had to help get a job to make ends meet. Before Thanksgiving, the soldier received $50 voucher to buy food for a holiday meal.
“Prices of homes (to rent) are high here,” the chaplain said, adding that leaves some soldier families in tight financial spots without them having extra money for Christmas gifts or for a special holiday meal.
Moore said almost four dozen more children are seeking gifts this year.
Each child will get a toy, clothing and shoes.
As she and Kinder were accepting the bikes, some volunteers were at Wal-Mart shopping for the Post Chapel’s Giving Tree program so all the requests from the 563 children on this year’s list will receive gifts.
After five hours of shopping, a group of women returned to the post hauling packages of items they purchased.
Patricia Peterson said her husband, a colonel and deputy commander for training at the Intelligence Center, came to the storage area on post Monday and “was amazed; he did not know how much is done.”
Soldiers’ families depend on the generosity of strangers in making Christmas special, she said.
People on the post and those in the civilian communities pitched in to assist, Peterson said, adding it is an entire community effort.
A number of children asked for bicycles, and, of course, helmets are needed. But there were no helmets available until a woman took on the challenge of finding the safety devices, Peterson said. In a matter of hours, 80 helmets were donated by the Fry Fire District.
That was just one example of how people come together, Peterson said.
Robin Stephen, whose husband is a retired lieutenant colonel chaplain and was the No. 2 spiritual leader on the post, said families are asking for educational toys this year.
Moore said there also are more requests for musical instruments — guitars, violins and drums.
Stephen, who was one of the women who spent five hours walking the aisles of Wal-Mart, said she believes the nation’s largest consumer store is taking a bad rap about not letting the phrase Christmas be used.
“They are not anti-Christmas,” she said.
The Sierra Vista store employees helped with the shopping Tuesday, finding what were on the lists.
Moore said going to Wal-Mart is part of the Post Chaplain Giving Tree program’s tradition.
The needs for soldiers’ families are easy to see by just looking at their lists, she said.
It’s easy to read between the lines, knowing they need more, Moore said.
Stephen noted one family asked for a pair of pants for their 2-year-old. A woman saw the request on the tree at the Post Exchange and ended up buying 10 outfits, not just one pair of pants, Moore said.
Some families are asking for items for children who are expected to be born soon.
“We provide for the unborn to 18-year-olds,” she said.
Last year, the major age group of requests was from 7 to 14. This year it is from newborn to 6.
Requests go through a soldier’s first sergeant or sergeant major, she said. The senior noncommissioned officers will pick up the bags on Thursday and hand them out to them.
Extra bags also will be added. Several thousands of dollars worth of items have been purchased, with some funds coming from the chaplain’s offertory plates and others from donations.
Tuesday’s shopping trip finished with more than $4,500 being spent.
Although the program officially ends Thursday when the bags are picked up, the families have to wrap the items. Moore said occasionally she is called upon to help a family just before Christmas.
One year a family arrived in Sierra Vista a couple of days before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Moore got a call from a chaplain saying the soldier and the family were in a motel.
The family had nothing for Christmas, so Moore went to work obtaining a decorated Christmas tree and gifts.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to make Christmas a special day for soldiers and their families,” she said.
It's good and it's sad at the same time.
Well, I wish there were a bit more contact info, if I have time tomorrow, I will find it and post it. If this isn't a worthy Freeper adopta cause, I do not know what is. V's wife.
Yikes! God bless these fine folks for making Christmas dreams come true for 500 needy kids, but I'll have to say, it's an absolute shame for this country that our nation's defenders can't afford to buy food for their families or pants for a 2 year old.
V, can you add me to a ping list if you get a FReeper project together for this? Our family is helping to provide things for about 150 orphans in Afghanistan right now, but I think this needs attention, too. Thanks.
BTTT.
BTTT
Freepers, I know everyone is tapped out, but let's see if we cannot keep this bumped, while I try to sort out some contact information.
V's wife
If anyone knows if there is anything similar for Luke, please let me know. I know some children who really should help out other children, so they know how fortunate they are.
Contact the Luke AFB Chaplain. If anyone knows the Chaplain would know.
SandRat,Bump.
And how is that angel of yours? Excited about Christmas?
AWwwwwwwww.... I just want to reach out and hug her so tight. Sit with her in the morning in my lap in the Lazy-Boy with Saturday Morning cartoons on.
But only if she holds Big Bird in one hand and Melmo in the other:)
That's OK
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