Fort Belvoir residents, employees and local community members made their way to the Army Community Services Building to put together care packages for deployed Family members and friends during the "Holiday Cookie Social & Goodie-Box Packing Party" Saturday morning.
The Mobilization/Deployment program hosted the event and provided home baked cookies and other goodies, plus packing boxes, for Families to pack for their loved ones or friends who will be overseas during the holidays.
Various crafts were available for children of all ages to make ornaments and other items, plus holiday-themed pictures and taped video messages.
"We want to send some Christmas cheer to the Soldiers down range to know that we care about them," said Tina Hoffman Mobilization/Deployment program volunteer. "We want to show the Families that we care about them all year long, too."
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7327 grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for the event while the Fort Belvoir Credit Union provided the equipment for the taped video messages.
The taped video messages, which are called "DVD blasts", were the activity most enjoyed by the Families, according to Hoffman.
"Being able to see and hear your Family members is invaluable," said Hoffman "Not everyone has the opportunity to Skype anymore."
One Family that utilized the DVD blasts was Nicole Reed and her 11 week old son, Robert. Reed and her husband, Scott, are actually stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, but she decided to stay with her Mom while her husband is deployed in Afghanistan.
Being able to send a video of her and their son was extra special to Reed since Robert is their first child.
"I would've liked to have done a longer video if I could have," said Reed. "This is our first child. So, the video is even more special I think."
Another Family that took advantage of the "Cookie Social" was Toni Norman and her eight year old granddaughter, Ariyana.
Norman's son, Terry, is currently deployed in Afghanistan. She said she brought Ariayan because she wants her to gain a better understanding of what deployed Soldiers go through while gone.
"I just wanted her to do something that she could send to her dad," Norman said. "We have done different crafts and packed different cookies and taken pictures. She made a frame that she is going to put the Santa Clause picture in to send to her dad. My son is a single parent, so we just wanted to help him and support him while he's doing his job for the Army."
There were Families at the event with previous experience in having a deployed Family member.
Craig Hodge, who is the Deputy Division Chief for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Office of the Chief Information Officer for the United States Public Health Service put together care packages for his brother and nephew who are deployed in the Middle East.
Hodge, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1993-97 before receiving a commission in the Army said his past deployments, plus modern technology have made this current experience easier to handle.
"Two weeks ago I did a video conference with my brother on my cell phone, so it's not like back when you had to wait to use the phone," Hodge said. "It's still nice to send them packages, though. I remember when I was enlisted and got a package I was like 'Yeah, this feels good.' It always felt bad to be the guy that didn't get anything."
The VFW volunteers grilled 200 hamburgers and hotdogs for the Families and friends who came to the event.
Clarence McNeill, VFW Post 7327 volunteer who spent 20 years in the Army from 1963-83 said he came because the purpose of the event supports the VFW's mission.
"This is a part of our mission, to help military Families, and this is an opportunity where we were able to do that," McNeill said. "I feel there is a need for the VFW to support these kinds of events."
Feedback from the Families was all positive, according to Hoffman, who said Mobilization/Deployment likes helping Families during the holidays as much as possible.
"It's nice for them to be able to talk to us in case we need to give them guidance on how to survive the holidays because it is hard when your loved one is gone," said Hoffman. "I got great positive feedback. The greatest feedback is we have a lot of repeat Families. It's sad their husbands are still deployed, but they are still coming to our events. I keep hearing it's nice to come down and do something in a relaxing environment."
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