The Panorama School District is continuing a tradition that began a decade ago, sending letters and care packages to military personnel away from home during the holidays.
Panora High School Special Education Instructor Mary Merritt says this tradition started out as a great learning experience for her students in packaging donated items, making & affixing labels along with filling out customs forms at the post office for delivery. English students in both high school & middle school participate by writing letters that are included in the packages.
The packages include a wide variety of items such as letters to the soldiers along with non-perishable food items and various goodies such as can koozies, magazines, books, disposable cameras, movies, games, shoe laces and chap stick.
Anyone who would like to make a donation to the cause can drop items off at the elementary and middle/high school buildings. Cash donations are also accepted and will be used for postage and purchasing additional items to fix the boxes. All donations must be received by Friday, December 7.
Merritt says she and her husband have gone on several out-of-country missions throughout the years and realized they were able to come home after a couple of weeks of travel; whereas these soldiers don’t have that option. She feels these packages are a great comfort and boosts morale.
Merritt explains packages are usually sent to between 12 and 24 servicemen and women who have some type of tie to the surrounding communities. Since starting this project, they’ve never turned any name down that’s been submitted to them. Merritt asks those with names and addresses of service personnel to contact her at 641-855-2317. If you know about how long that person would be deployed and where, it would help us so we won’t have any boxes returned to us Merrit added.
Merrit wants to make the public aware that this isn’t about whether or not you are for or against war – this is about somebody’s son, husband, daughter, wife who put themselves in harms’ way every day.