To help bring Christmas joy to servicemen and women stationed abroad, Catholic Charities staff prepared care packages in the agency’s Camden center that also included handmade cards prepared by South Jersey Catholic Schools students.
“I know it’s hard being away from family this time of year,” wrote one fifth-grader from Saint John Paul II Regional School in Stratford. “My father doesn’t live in the same country as me, but we’re always in each other’s hearts.”
“You are tree-mendously brave!” another student wrote in a card carefully cut into the shape of a Christmas tree.
After requests went out to parishes to identify loved ones who were stationed overseas, responses came pouring in from across the Diocese.
One parishioner spoke of her nephew who is serving in the Army in Germany. “He is 23 years old and is a newlywed husband that will be away from his new wife for at least nine months, maybe longer. He said that the weather is dreary and cold. Maybe a care package would brighten his days just a bit.”
Another parishioner noted that her daughter is stationed in Kuwait, and while “she is strong and doesn’t ever complain, I know that she does feel homesick when she can’t be home for Christmas. And I have no doubt that she’ll treasure any gift that is sent to her, no matter how small.”
Staff from Catholic Charities’ Supportive Services for Veterans and Families program spent several days collecting and sorting items, then filling packages with toiletries such as shampoo, deodorant and other hygienic products, as well as trail mix, candies and jerky. They also ensured that all packages were weighed and addressed properly, including the customs forms.
More than 50 care packages were shipped to those serving in Lithuania, Germany, Kuwait and other locations that are undisclosed for safety reasons.
Several of the Catholic Charities staff members who are veterans themselves or have family members presently serving were particularly aware of how important these acts of love could be.
Rebekah Rosado, senior case manager, helped guide the staff in selecting items. Her own 18-year old daughter received her first Navy assignment this year: working on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, which ultimately aided in the Afghanistan evacuation efforts. Speaking of the care packages and pointing to a letter she keeps hanging in her cubicle at Catholic Charities, Rosado noted, “Small things go such a long way. In this letter, [my daughter] requested stamps and paper so she could write back to me and to loved ones. Anything that reminds [overseas military] of home is always special, especially when they can’t get those items wherever they’re stationed.”
Lester Richards, an outreach case worker, served in Vietnam. “Care packages meant the world during the holidays,” he said. “During my time in the military, there were plenty of guys who didn’t have family or people at home who were thinking of them. Whenever I got a care package, I’d be sure to share it with the others. It means so much to know that people are thinking of you,” he said with a smile.
Carla Brooks, case manager, agreed. “When I was in the Army, getting mail and care packages was the highlight of the day. We’d all line up to see who had received what … whenever I got one, my buddies would joke and say, ‘What are you sharing with us this time?’ Those were always the best days.”
Catholic Charities’ executive director, Kevin Hickey, explained the importance of the project. “Pope Francis reminds us that ‘Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace.’ As Catholics, we must not forget to bring joy to those who may struggle to find it during this Christmas season.”
Dr. Bill Watson, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, agreed. “The teachers and students put their faith in action through this project. They are helping to spread the joy of Christmas to men and women whose circumstances may mean they struggle to experience it. Service is a critical component of a Catholic school education. Being the face of Jesus by spreading his love even in small ways and even to those far away is part of that commitment.”
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