Winchester Youths Send Comforts of Home to Troops

By Mary McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/3/03)

While she was stuck at home during the President’s Day weekend snowstorm, Sherry Riley, youth minister at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester, thought of those who were stuck so far from their own homes.

An advertisement on the local cable Channel 6 caught Riley’s attention. The local chapter of the American Red Cross was requesting postage to send items to the troops overseas.

At the next monthly youth group meeting, Riley suggested that the Catholic Youth Organization at Sacred Heart hold a donation drive at the church to gather the simple items for the care packages and assist the Red Cross with their efforts.

During the month of March, the CYO had a box available in the narthex of the church with a list of needed supplies.

The CYO is collecting things many people might take for granted every day. They are filling shoe boxes with toiletries, sunscreen, hand lotion, drink mixes, blank greeting cards, books, CDs and batteries. Members of the CYO have also written notes to the troops and included prayer cards in their packages.

The items are taken to the Red Cross to be inspected, packaged according to military regulations and shipped to specific APO addresses overseas.

Riley said the youths have been "really receptive. It’s really wonderful that the kids wanted to do this. This is a nice way to keep [the troops] connected to things we take for granted."

Riley delivered the first 25 boxes to the Red Cross last week. Because the youths and parishioners responded so enthusiastically, Riley says the project, which was originally scheduled for the month of March, will continue into April.

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