SPRING HILL - What began last holiday season as Treats for Troops, homemade cookies sent to service people in Iraq, has grown this year into Trees for Troops. And Christmas stockings, too. Says chief organizer Barbara Newlin: Imagine being half a world away, in a battle zone, wishing you could be home with your family for the holidays. Then suddenly, unexpectedly, a package is delivered with a small tree just for you, a little touch of home for the holidays, saying somebody cares about you.
Newlin and a group of volunteering friends have purchased 200 artificial trees, 18 inches tall, and are seeking financial and decorative donations to get them on their way to the Mideast. The aim is for military personnel to experience a taste of home and know that they are not forgotten. While the sentiment may be priceless, it is not without cost, Newlin points out in a promotional flier. And we need your assistance. Each tree sells for $4.25.
Just for fun, she adds, we have come up with some suggested levels of giving. With a 501c3 designation, all donations are tax-deductible. For a donation of $4.25, a giver earns designation as an elf. A Rudolph donation sponsors five trees with a contribution of $21.25. A Santa donation of $42.50 funds 10 trees. An angel covers 25 trees with a donation of $106.25.
Not everybody believes in angels, acknowledges Newlin, but when a soldier in the middle of the desert opens a box and finds a Christmas tree trimmings, goodies and cards inside, it s a pretty safe bet he or she will feel an angel on his or her shoulder. Donors may include a package of nonbreakable ornaments for the soldier to decorate the tree. Also, the volunteers have enlisted the help of schools and crafts groups to create decorations.