Holiday Mail for Heroes

Submitted by Ellen de Havilland

Sending a touch of home to our heroes abroad helps to bring the spirit of the season out.
Kelly Adams, executive director of Arbor Terrace, took a day to volunteer and came out to The Arc Kohler School in Mountainside to craft some handmade cards for our troops and heroes who are serving overseas, as part of the American Red Cross “Holiday Mail for Heroes” program.
A simple card can have a profound impact. This program is just one way the volunteers from Arbor Terrace are sending holiday cheer to the servicemen and women who defend our freedom. Special thanks go out to Maria Owens, of Arbor Terrace, for coordinating this very special project and collecting the supplies to make the cards.
Jennifer Kaufman, principal at The Arc Kohler School, shared with us that “working on a project such as ‘Holiday Mail for Heroes’ allows our students to give back to the community and to provide some holiday cheer to the brave men and women who serve our country. It also provides a way for our students to showcase their talents and practice many of the skills that they work on here at school.”
With help from the team of teachers and therapists at the school, Shelby Camhi, speech language pathologist at The Arc Kohler School, shared that “the kids had a great time making cards for the soldiers, and it provided them with the opportunity to utilize the skills we work on in therapy — following directions, practicing colors, learning holiday concepts, practicing ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses, and making requests.”
Volunteers from Arbor Terrace donated all of the supplies and worked with the students to create handmade cards with personal messages. To kick off the season and get into the spirit of the holidays, Arbor Terrace also donated a pizza lunch for the teachers and staff to enjoy. The staff at The Arc Kohler School work hard each day to help the students grow and gain independence. Thank you, Arbor Terrace, for reminding our teachers how important they are to our students!
If you’d like to join in with this campaign and send cards of thanks and holiday cheer to military members, veterans and families, visit: redcross.org/holidaymail