FORT JACKSON, S.C. (Dec. 18, 2014) -- Soldiers and civilians enrolled at the Master Resilience Training School on Fort Jackson are helping to make a local family's Christmas a happy one.
Students in the class pitched in to buy presents for a single mother and four children in the Columbia area, said Nikki Johnson, an instructor for the Master Resilience Training School.
"This is something we can do as a class and support a family during Christmas time," said Master Sgt. Suzanne Thomason-Polk, who is assigned to the 75th South Training Division in Houston, Texas.
Thomason-Polk was the student to propose the idea to the class, Johnson said. The idea was a natural extension of one of the skill-building sessions in the MRT course.
"The idea was shared during "˜Hunt the Good Stuff,'" Johnson said. "That's one of the skills we do in the morning where the students punctuate on something good that's happened, their reflection on it. Despite what's going on throughout the world, people still come together to do good things for other people."
She said learning to strengthen your ties to individuals and the community is one of the fundamental elements of the class.
"That's one of the things we talk about: Your connections and relationships with other people, and how (they) can strengthen those relationships and bonds to be more resilient," Johnson said.
The class was given only the most essential details about the family they were sponsoring. They knew there were five people, including children ages 1 to 10. Beyond that, Thomason-Polk said the Soldiers knew almost nothing about the people receiving the gifts.
MRT is a component of the Comprehensive Solider and Family Fitness Program, which is designed to develop mental and emotional strength throughout the Army. Soldiers and civilians from around the world travel to the post to participate in the program.
"When they depart from here, they depart with an additional skill identifier, which allows them to be master resilience trainers in their units and organizations," Johnson said. "We have a combination of military and civilians here. They come from as far away as Alaska, Germany and Guam."
Thirteen of the 61 Soldiers in the most recent course were from the Fort Jackson area, she said.
"They're doing something great, at a time of year when we always have families who need some type of assistance," Johnson said. "This is a class that really came together. When the idea was broached, they really jumped on board."
The gifts were brought into the classroom to be wrapped during a break in class Dec. 11. Some of the students had more enthusiasm than skill when it came to wrapping presents, though.
"Some of the wrapping is better than others," Thomason-Polk said. "But it's a joyous occasion. It's a good thing to do, and I don't think the wrapping will be judged. I feel very fortunate to be able to do something for a family in need."
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