Decking the halls a world away: Gifts for troops "a little piece of home"

By Tan Vinh
Seattle Times staff reporter

KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES Bobby Butters, left, facing camera, 9, and Jordan Miller, 9, right, both Cub Scouts with Pack 638 from Spanaway, Pierce County, get into the holiday spirit yesterday as they stuff Christmas stockings with gifts such as candy and penny whistles to send to American troops.

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Through e-mail, they requested games, candy canes and snacks, modest gifts that could be sent to the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to spread some Christmas cheer.

What happened after that September e-mail still shocks a mother and daughter who helped form Operation Support Our Troops, a grassroots organization in Western Washington.

Families from as far away as New Mexico and Florida sent in thousands of handmade Christmas stockings.

Schools from as far away as New Jersey and Connecticut made Christmas cards or collected gifts, some even holding contests with other classes.

Churches and civic groups orchestrated donation drives.

To help Those wishing to contribute gifts to soldiers or money to pay for shipping can contact Nadine Gulit at ngulit@aol.com or at 425-369-2215. Operation Support Our Troops: www.operation-support-our-troops.org/

Yesterday, those contributions filled up a Renton barn that was dubbed Little Costco. Monopoly, chess sets and other board games lined the walls. Boxes of energy bars, beef jerky and nuts were stacked. Barrels of white socks were brought in, as about 200 volunteers formed assembly lines to stuff stockings and wrap presents.

"This is just through word of mouth and e-mails," said Nadine Gulit, who along with her daughter, Sheryl Sheaffer, is among the four founders who formed the support group in 2003 in Issaquah. "I never imagined it would grow this big. This is huge."

Sheaffer, of Sammamish, said they formed the group to counter the anti-war protesters by holding rallies across the state.

They have sent gifts to soldiers before, but nothing close to the scale of their latest campaign. Their request was forwarded across the country to thousands of friends, relatives and military families.

	Lori Uebele, left, and other volunteers pack up gifts in Renton to send to American troops. About 200 people formed assembly lines to stuff stockings and wrap presents yesterday.

Rogers High School in Puyallup and Auburn Riverside High sent in several truckloads of gifts.

At least 500 boxes of donations were collected. Sheaffer said the group will send Christmas trees along with gifts for 7,269 troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and in other bases around the world.

Many military families, church groups and even Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts came out yesterday to help wrap the gifts.

Ron Caron and his wife, Aris, of Puyallup, who have a son serving in the Air Force and stationed in the Middle East, sewed 300 Christmas stockings for the troops. Caron said he wanted the soldiers fighting in Iraq to have a "little piece of home."

Within two hours, Jackie Jenkins of Renton had stuffed about 500 stockings. "If I can bring a little smile to them during these difficult times, then it was worth it," she said.

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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