Local students stuff stockings for soldiers

The stockings aren’t filled by Santa, but come pretty close.
Meadow View Elementary School students prepared stockings filled with candy, personal items and other treats for 60 soldiers deployed to Iraq during Christmas. Students and staff collected items for three weeks, and then a group of students stayed after school to prepare to ship the items this past week.
This is the second year the school has taken on the effort. Fourth-grade teacher Angie Quillin heads up the project, after thinking of the idea last year. Her husband was deployed last Christmas, and he mentioned to her that some of the soldiers weren’t receiving any letters or care packages. She was afraid that they would not get anything for Christmas either, so she decided to have her class bring in items to send to the troops. The request for donations soon spread throughout the school.
Quillin said her main goal is “just trying to keep them connected to home.” She wanted to put the items in stockings to give the gifts a holiday touch.
The S3 shop of the 515 Cavalry at Fort Knox is paying for the shipping.
She expected about 1,000 items by the time that the drive finished. Last year’s results impressed her as well.
“I could not believe the items that were coming in,” she said.
The students also received pictures last year of the soldiers who received stockings.
“It was just so cool for the kids to get some feedback from it,” she said.
This year’s group does not know the gifts are coming, save for one who is a friend of a Meadow View faculty member.
Fourth-grader Abby Logan, who helped fill stockings with the donated items, said it was important to remember the troops during the holiday season because “first of all, they’re fighting for our country.” Fourth-grader Kyndahl Harris thought the soldiers needed mementos from home.
“I think it’s important because when they’re not here and don’t have anything to remind them of home,” she said.
While the project serves the troops, it’s also a lesson for students, Quillin said.
“I want the students to know they need to reach out to others who are in need,” she said.
Kelly Cantrall can be reached at (270) 505-1747 or kcantrall@thenewsenterprise.com.

Kelly Cantrall

Arianna Luna, left, Gabriel Arroyo, Marcus Davis and Abby Logan prepare stockings on Thursday at Meadow View Elementary School to send to soldiers in Iraq.

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Kelly Cantrall

Arianna Luna, left, Gabriel Arroyo, teacher Angie Quillin, Logan Sherrard and Khadija Seidou work on stuffing stockings Thursday at Meadow View Elementary School for soldiers in Iraq.

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Kelly Cantrall

Teacher Erin Dobson begins packing the stockings Thursday at Meadow View Elementary School to send to soldiers in Iraq.

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