Treating The Troops For The Holidays

About two dozen volunteers carved out about three hours of their Saturday morning to do something that, to Barbara Newlin, seems so simple and yet has such far-reaching impact.

Far-reaching not only philosophically but geographically.

Newlin was a local organizer of Treat the Troops - an event held in communities nationally about this time each year.

Newlin and her volunteers - mostly from Silverthorn - packed 250 miniature trees and stockings, along with handmade ornaments and loads of stocking stuffers, into 250 priority postal boxes to send to the troops overseas.

The event was held at Silverthorn Community Center and most of the volunteers were from there, although others in the area also helped out.

Many of the ornaments and enclosed letters and cards came from local schools and a 4-H group.

Many of the Silverthorn residents donated leftover Halloween candy - about 125 pounds of it.

Newlin said she is amazed that sending these treat boxes makes such a difference in the lives of the troops, who have written letters back saying how touched they are by the generosity of strangers.

"It pus a smile on their faces," she says. "Something so simple, that seems so trivial to us, is so meaningful to them.

"They call us heroes and say, 'You're our hometown heroes.'"

The volunteers worked assembly-line fashion. Every volunteer had a job to do as they filled plastic bags and distributed the exact amount of candy.

Volunteer Linda Heady, wearing a "Treat the Troops" T-shirt, is glad to do it.

"It needs to be done," Heady says, "because the guys need to know they're appreciated."