Troy 4th graders making holidays brighter for the troops

The Knights of Columbus recently presented Troy Shorewood Elementary School with a certificate of appreciation, according to a news release from Troy Community School District 30-C.

The school’s fourth grade student ambassadors had partnered with the Knights of Columbus to collect items for U.S. military troops through Operation Care Package, according to the release.

Operation Care Package is a Manhattan-based, not-for-profit organization that supports people serving in the military through care packages and letters of encouragement. Operation Care Package was founded in 2003.

The students also wrote letters and drew pictures to accompany the items, one of the club’s sponsors, Kristin McGuire, according to the release.

“Some of the soldiers don’t receive anything in the mail, and they exist on little supplies,” Debbie Smothers, one of the co-founders, said on the Operation Care Package website. “I don’t think any of them should go without something from mail call.”

For information on Operation Care Package, go to operationcarepackages.org.