In the paper, but NOT in obituaries or crime section

Friday, September 26, 2008 12:10 AM CDT
Making Christmas merry: Stockings prepared for soldiers serving overseas
DECATUR - When Julie Hensley heard that her brother, an Army officer, plans to spend his Christmas in Iraq, she decided she wanted to do something for the troops.

Hensley contacted Operation Santa, a Peoria-based group that sends thousands of stockings stuffed with gifts to service members overseas.

Patti Smith, who launched the operation three years ago, invited Hensley to expand Operation Santa into Decatur.

"For too many of our troops, this is the only thing they receive for Christmas," said Smith, who has two sons who have served in Iraq with the Marine Corps.

Hensley, who has enlisted a co-worker and co-worker's wife in her efforts, has placed collection boxes at 11 locations throughout Decatur to collect snacks, socks, toiletries and CDs.

On Oct. 26, Hensley plans to drive a truckload of items to Peoria, where they will be stuffed into homemade stockings, placed into boxes and shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Julie's done an excellent job of mobilizing Decatur," said Smith, who established a nonprofit group, Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines, to help service members from all branches.

Last year, Operation Santa sent out 23,000 stockings and was recognized by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn with a Homefront Hero Award.

Decatur-based Operation Enduring Support, also a recipient of a Homefront Hero Award, has been sending Christmas parcels to service members overseas for the past five years. The group, which meets Monday evenings at Grace United Methodist Church, will begin collecting items for its drive Wednesday.

When Hensley, service dispatcher at Tica Inc., heard that Operation Santa uses homemade stockings, she turned to her Verna Coleman, the company's bookkeeper, for assistance.

"She is the best sewer in the world," Hensley said.

Coleman has completed almost 100 stockings, working from a pattern she found on the Operation Santa Web site.

Hensley said contributions have been coming in from various quarters, such as dentists, who have come through with toothbrushes and floss. Frequent travelers have brought in those tiny containers of shampoo and lotion that they picked up in hotel rooms.

"I have two bags full of them," Hensley said, reaching into the collection box at Tica, which is nearly filled.

Operation Santa was launched when Smith's youngest son was in Iraq for Christmas, 2005. She sent presents to all the members of her son's platoon, some of whom received nothing else.