VERO BEACH — Our troops around the globe can count on a great holiday season, thanks to an outpouring of support from residents of Indian River County for the Military Moms Prayer Group’s seventh annual Holidays for Heroes drive.
An estimated 2500 boxes bearing hand-written cards, food, and gifts are now en route from Florida to servicemen and women stationed in far-flung outposts. They serve in the mountains of Afghanistan, on the border of North Korea, and aboard ships in the Persian Gulf and the Pacific.
“The response from Indian River County has been extraordinary. More students, individuals, and groups than ever before have taken part in this outreach effort. As a result, we hope our troops will have a Christmas they will never forget,” says Lynn Marie Saint Vincent, coordinator of the Holidays for Heroes program.
In addition to hundreds of individuals who picked up one of the Military Moms’ mailing kits addressed to a member of the armed forces, groups of all kinds pitched in to help. Teachers throughout the county enlisted their students in writing cards and letters by the thousands.
Staff at the U.S. Post Office at Tropic Square and other branches facilitated shipping. Churches, businesses, civic organizations, and country clubs staged their own drives or provided financial support. One eight-year-old girl was so moved by the program that she reached into her pocket and donated two one dollar bills.
Typical of the community response was a brainstorm by teenagers Karly and Jeff Krasnow, who used their ingenuity to help troops adorn tents and bunks with unusual holiday cheer. The two Vero Beach High School students, founders of an environmental nonprofit called Balls-Go-Round, recruited friends to recycle used tennis balls into glittering Christmas ornaments which were then shipped out by the Military Moms Prayer Group.
“Making the ornaments gave us a unique double purpose. We not only helped the environment by recycling tennis balls but also connected in a special way to our heroic troops. That’s something teenagers like us don’t have a chance to do every day,” Karly replied.
Since 2006, when the Military Moms Prayer Group launched its first Holidays for Heroes drive, more than 10,500 packages have reached the troops for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. The gift boxes are part of the nonprofit group’s ongoing mission to support our servicemen and women through prayer and outreach efforts.
Throughout the year, the Military Moms Prayer Group meets for prayer from 5 to 6 p.m. every Thursday at Christ Church Vero Beach, 925 14th Ln. (behind Outback, near Vero Bowl.)
New members are always welcome.
For information, please call (772) 231-2221 or visit the website at www.MilitaryMomsPrayerGroup.com.
