“We want to send a bit of love to all the servicemembers who are not at home this year”, says Blue star Mom Jen Schindler, at the package drive held this Sunday at Clovis Veterans Memorial District.
With the help of volunteers from outside the group, they packed 400 boxes for U.S. military on deployment, in the United States and internationally.
Blue Star Moms is a support group, but it’s also a movement. Blue Star Mom Marisol Gonzalez said, “I always say my child serves, so I serve.”
The package drive is only one of the events Central Valley Blue Star Moms puts on throughout the year.
They spend all of their time recognizing veterans in our community, and supporting mothers of servicemembers.
President Lisa Bailey says, “The basis for all of our work is always active military and veterans, that’s what we’re here for.”
The packages are given a personal touch, and plenty of love was packed inside.
Blue Star Moms made sure they knew what servicemembers needed and wanted, like snacks, wet wipes, cologne, and socks.
The supplies were gathered at donation bins at local businesses, or from schools.
“The biggest portion of our socks came from an elementary school in Selma,” says Jen Schindler, “they had a contest among their classrooms and they gave us tons of socks.”
Each box was packed full with whatever the volunteers could fit inside, a letter from Blue Star Moms and a hand-drawn letter from a child at a local school was added, and these boxes were sent, with love, to as many active servicemen as the organization could get addresses for.
Central Valley Blue Star Moms real purpose, at heart, is to help and support the mothers of active military service members.
Marisol Gonzalez remembers when her son was deployed, “I had no family in the military, I was lost, and they welcomed me with open arms. We are a sisterhood, and they got me through hard times when my son was deployed twice.”
Debbi Mulen said that she helped run the signing events at the local high schools this year, where graduating seniors who have enlisted get recognition for their sacrifice. “We watch the crowd for moms of these children,” Mulen said, “and we usually get a few to join our organization.”
Central Valley Blue Star Moms had more monetary support than donations this year, and they ask that local businesses consider hosting a donations bin for wherever the community wants to give to our active service members.
Some items this year included individually-bagged snacks like Takis or Cheez-Its, Dude Wipes, crossword books, decks of cards or other small games, cigars, and prayer books.