Cookies wanted for local airmen
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on November 30, 2012 1:46 PM
Many of them won't be able to spend the holidays with their families -- the youngest men and women stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Their Christmas morning will likely unfold inside the dorms tucked inside the installation gates.
So members of the Officer and Civilian Spouses' Club are working to ensure each still gets a taste of home -- something to boost their morale during a time of year when being alone can hurt.
It's just a dozen cookies -- a collection of the various treats different people around the county are known for.
But Jan Green, a member of the club, said they mean something special to those on the receiving end of the Airman Cookie Drive's annual offerings.
"There is nothing that makes you feel like it's the holidays more than having something home-baked, and no matter how old you are, everybody loves a homemade cookie," she said. "It's just a little touch of home for people who ... might not be able to go home for Christmas."
If the club hits its mark, more than 700 airmen will get a special delivery just in time for the holidays.
And with the help of people living outside the base gates who have access to Seymour Johnson, they are confident no airman will be left behind.
Those interested in contributing to the cause are asked to drop off their cookies in the red sleigh located inside the base commissary between Dec. 6 and Dec. 10.
"They need to put it in some kind of container, not just on a plate, so the cookies won't get crushed," she said. "Then, after all of the donations come in, we take them and package them so it's a variety."
Mrs. Green hopes the community will get behind the drive.
They are, after all, more than just cookies.
They are a reminder, to those who serve, that they are appreciated -- that their many sacrifices matter.
"We all feel, at this stage in the game, that it is our responsibility to take care of them when they're here and they're alone -- especially during the holidays -- and to show how much we appreciate the fact that they make a sacrifice," she said. "I do feel like everyone feels that responsibility to take care of these airmen. They are so young."