It’s the time for giving.
And what better way to give than to know you’re spreading holiday cheer all the way onto the other side of the world?
Hundreds of volunteers did just that for people they don’t even know.
It’s all part of the stocking project put together by the Stockings Patriots of the Panhandle of Texas.
Volunteers fill 3,000 stockings to be sent to our troops serving overseas.
“Woman sew the stockings and we collect them all year long and we collect candy, toiletry items, a card packet that has a message from home with letters from our politicians and our mayor,” explains organizer Dona Nussbaum.
Volunteers like 12-year-old Caroline McAfee say it makes them feel great helping out.
“I bet you they’re sad that they’re leaving their families,” McAfee says. “It really makes me feel good inside because I’m helping other people besides myself and I love to give instead of get.”
A gift of giving that now takes a trip halfway around the world.
“It’s just wonderful seeing so many people come together to do something for someone they’ll never meet,” Nussbaum said. “To them Christmas is just another work day so if we can give them a little bit of happiness Christmas morning and God’s love and God’s joy that makes us feel like we’re doing His work.”
The project has been around for 10 years and more than 30,000 stockings have been sent to our troops overseas.
The end of the year is the perfect time to get together with the family and spread some holiday cheer through volunteering.
Contact the Volunteer Center of Lubbock at (806) 747-0551 to see what organizations need the most help.
