Marne religious congregations, commissary brighten lives of more than 400 families this holiday season

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

12.04.2013

Story by Sgt. Tara Cook 

3rd Infantry Division

FORT STEWART, Ga. - Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield religious congregations donated more than $21,000 and joined forces with the commissary to help brighten the lives of more than 400 soldiers and their families here this holiday season.

As part of a longstanding tradition, chaplains gave their religious congregations the opportunity to give what is called a “designated offering” meaning that the chaplains that preside over religious services across the two installations inform their religious congregations that offerings given at that time is for needy families within the local Army community.

More than 400 soldiers were identified through unit ministry teams to receive $50 vouchers for use at local commissaries to assist in offsetting expenses generally associated with the holiday season.

“This is a tradition that shows the generosity of our members, and this year they contributed $21,151,” said Master Sgt. John Proctor, 3rd Infantry Division Chaplain noncommissioned officer in charge. “That shows to me their exceptional generosity as well as their commitment to serving this community and reaching out to the soldiers and their families with something that is a deliberate gesture of genuine care.”

This year a card was attached to each voucher noting that this gesture was made possible by the religious congregations of Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart and welcomed the recipients to join their religious congregations.

This differentiates these efforts from that of past times. In past times, it was generally assumed that these contributions were made by the Army because the efforts were not clearly identified.

Unfortunately, the funds donated by various religious congregations across the installations were not able to completely meet the needs identified by the unit ministry teams.

To meet the needs of all of those families identified, the commissary stepped up to the plate to close the gap to support all of those in need.

Sgt. 1st Class Chaka Grant, the tithes and funds manager, stated that they were not able to disclose the exact amount of monetary efforts provided by the commissary to close the gap, but that these efforts closed the gap allowing the vouchers to be provided to every soldier and family that had been identified.

Proctor continued by saying that the efforts of people digging that deep into their pockets, especially during the holiday season, to reach out to needy families within the community is noteworthy, but more importantly that the religious congregations do not do this to be seen.

The effort is to let soldiers and families know that they are always welcome in their chapels and that they are there to serve them.

“We know how difficult it is to leave your hometown and that religious familiarity, and we are here to try to make their experience in the Fort Stewart-HAAF area as positive as possible by giving them the best possible religious support,” concluded Proctor.

• Date Taken: 12.04.2013
• Date Posted: 12.04.2013 15:19
• Story ID: 117716
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US