Christmas Stockings for the Troops Stocking Stuffing And Gift Wrapping Session Called Amazing Success!

“What an amazing, uplifting and wonderful day!” smiled one volunteer after the recent combined Christmas Stockings for the Troops stocking stuffing/gift wrapping session and Fall Clean-up Day at Kirkwood where 1,500 gift bags were prepared to send to Marines, Soldiers and Airmen, serving in Southern Afghanistan and Iraq.

“The day just flew by!” another person said. Others agreed saying, “I enjoyed meeting and working side by side with people from the community.” “It was amazing how so many people who didn’t even know each other worked together like old friends!” “Scouts from Troop 1140 were there and so many students!” “I mentioned it on my FaceBook page and people have commented about what a wonderful thing it was for our church to host this.”

Volunteers talked about how inspired they were by Keith and Stephanie Pfromer who started the project in 2003, their personal commitment to it, their organization of everything and the quantity and quality of contributions they obtained from both corporate sponsors and individuals.
In addition to Kirkwood members and friends and family members of the Pfromers, volunteers included people from the neighborhood, Charlestown Owners Association, Messiah Methodist, Prince of Peace and Westwood Baptist churches and students from area schools. To a person, participants said they were honored and proud to participate in the project.

The gift bags volunteers prepared each contained:
• A Christmas stocking filled with candy and other treats
• A bag of Christmas mix Jelly Belly jelly beans
• Three to four wrapped gifts including magazines and a variety of other items such as Girl Scout cookies, t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, playing cards, Frisbees, baseball caps, day planners, Sudoku/crossword puzzle books, etc.
• A coffee/hot cocoa bag filled with coffee, hot cocoa, sugar and creamer
• A bag of health and hygiene items filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, lip balm, shampoo, etc.
• Several cards with handwritten greetings from children or other volunteers.

The gift bags will be shipped via U.S.P.S. Priority Mail on Wednesday (11/25) to troops serving in several “hot spots” and will be distributed to the troops on the days leading up to Christmas.

Keith and Stephanie Pfromer noted how appreciative they were of everyone’s help at Kirkwood, stating that the cards/notes for the troops, time and energy shared, the welcome that Kirkwood provided to those helping with this effort and the donations/contributions for the troops, will help to bridge the distance between the states and the Middle East and in the process, will brighten Christmas for over 1,500 individuals serving our country.

After this year’s success, we are already looking forward to once again helping with the project in 2010.

The accompanying photos show just some of the 80 to 100+ volunteers of all ages in action. See more photos on Kirkwood’s website at www.kirkwoodpres.com.