New Bedford students send letters, packages to troops, aim to start pen pal program
Kathryn Gallerani
- Students at Normandin Middle School are sending care packages to soldiers overseas.
- The care packages include personal letters from the students, thanking the soldiers for their service.
- The students collected various items for the packages, including food, hand sanitizer, and crossword puzzle books.
NEW BEDFORD - Soldiers fighting overseas will soon be getting care packages with letters sent from Normandin Middle School students to brighten their day.
In each box is a personal letter a student has written to a soldier along with the care packages filled with everything from crossword puzzle books to soap.
Normandin Middle School social studies teacher Christopher Donnelly led the effort teaching his eighth-grade students lessons in being civic-minded. They have also held food drives to help the homeless.
At least 25 care packages are being sent out through the U.S. Postal Service on behalf of the students who packed the boxes this week to be sent out.
Sharing their gratitude
Eighth-grader Alexandra Dos Santos, who currently has two siblings in the military overseas, understands their sacrifice. She has written letters to them showing thanks for all they do.
"We're giving back to those who sacrifice themselves for our country," she said. "They are very brave, and they work really hard to make sure that they protect us, and we decided to repay them."
She said students have been collecting supplies to go into the boxes, including everything from food to hand sanitizer as a way to show their gratitude.
"Hopefully the soldiers will get our letters and write back to us," she said. "We gave them our addresses, so they know where to find us."
Other students also wrote to their family members, and she was able to read some of those letters.
"It's very wholesome," she said.
Lauren Charest said she values the military, and the resources and letters they are sending in the boxes are meant to show the soldiers that they care.
She said to get the word out around the school they distributed letters to each of the classrooms to encourage donation of items.
"During our morning meetings, we would go on the intercom and tell everybody about it," she said.
Where the letters will go
Donnelly said the packages with the letters are going out to military facilities and other locations all around the world.
"We have six going to Japan, one going to Hawaii, and other letters to all different places," Donnelly said.
It's their hope that the soldiers will write back to the students and keep the communication going.
Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.