733rd Soldiers join community to fill Stockings for Soldiers

Photo By Staff Sgt. Derek M. Smith | Edward Brewster, mechanic (left), and Spc. Adam Hyatt, driver with the 733rd Transportation Company (TC) stationed in Reading, Pa., load donations for transportation to the Keystone Soldiers Warehouse during the Keystone Soldiers’ Stockings for Soldiers collection at Blue Ridge Communications here, Nov. 24. Ranaudo, a Reading resident, Brewster, a St. Louis, Mo. native and Hyatt, from Breaux Bridge, La., joined the 733rd TC’s efforts to assist Ephrata-based organizations along with numerous others and local volunteers to collect personal hygiene items, snacks, socks and other items to stuff approximately 6,000 stockings to be sent overseas to assure service members they were not forgotten this holiday season.  

READING, PA, UNITED STATES

11.24.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Derek M. Smith 

326th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

EPHRATA, Pa. - Soldiers of the 733rd Transportation Company (TC) stationed in Reading, Pa., are accustomed to loading and transporting supplies to troops, but a recent mission for some of these U.S. Army Reservists put a more elf-like spring into their military step.

In an effort to bring some holiday spirit to service members overseas, the Soldiers of the 733rd TC partnered with Blue Ridge Communications and Pencor Services, Inc. to assist the Keystone Soldiers’ Stockings for Soldiers project Nov. 24. These Ephrata-based organizations along with numerous others and local volunteers collected personal hygiene items, snacks, socks and other items to stuff approximately 6,000 stockings to be sent overseas to men and women in uniform. In addition, more than 35,000 holiday cards were gathered to assure service members they were not forgotten this holiday season.

“Stockings for Soldiers is basically the community coming together to support the Soldiers who are serving overseas,” explained Capt. Joshua Koncar, commander, 733rd TC. It’s great to see the local community, businesses and government all come together for one cause. It’s really overwhelming.”

“We’ve been doing it for the last three years, providing labor and transportation support to move the actual items which are to be shipped downrange,” continued Koncar, a native of St. Petersburg, Fla. “Any opportunity we get, we try to help out the community because they help us out so much with organizations like theirs helping the Soldiers. If we were deployed downrange, we would want the same kind of support that is given here.”

The outpouring of community support was noticed not only by the 733rd members, but by organizers and volunteers throughout the area.

“We have never worked with a group of people who embraced our project with such commitment and vigor,” said Kyle Lord, founder of Keystone Soldiers, the non-profit organization founded in 2002. “This is such an amazing display of the wonderful things that can happen when a community comes together to show their support for our friends and neighbors away from home.”

“I hope this collection will spur people to continue in the spirit of giving … not only at Christmas, but throughout the year, in support of our Soldiers,” Lord continued. “Every year, the support and enthusiasm grows bigger than the year before and more of our troops know they are loved and supported back home.”

Stockings for Soldiers is in its fifth year, and according to those involved, it shows no signs of slowing down.

“Over the last five years, it’s growing and every year they get more and more donations,” echoed Sgt. Jennifer Ranaudo, unit administrator for the 733rd TC. “It’s amazing how a community can come together. It’s awesome. It really is awesome.”

Volunteers and organizers agree that the uniqueness of the community is the reason for this program’s success.

“Our community, we embrace, we value our freedom. We’re very blessed,” emphasized Cindy Mellinger, marketing/community relations coordinator for Blue Ridge Communications. “We just feel this is something we are supposed to do.”

“Our collection weighed in at 5,609.7 pounds of donations including food, hygiene and other requested items, over 6,000 cards and close to $6,000 for shipping,” explained Mellinger, who has been the project coordinator for the past five years. “Each year I continue to be amazed by the overwhelming compassion shown.”

“Due to the generous support,” Mellinger concluded. “We far exceeded our totals from 2013 and our servicemen and women will receive a loving reminder from home over the Christmas season. These gifts will serve as powerful messages of joy and hope to our men and women serving around the world.”

For more information on Keystone Military Families, please visit www.keystonesoldiers.com, www.facebook.com/KeystoneSoldiers or email: [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 11.24.2014
• Date Posted: 12.09.2014 16:29
• Story ID: 149838
• Location: READING, PA, US
• Hometown: BREAUX BRIDGE, LA, US
• Hometown: EPHRATA, PA, US
• Hometown: READING, PA, US
• Hometown: ST. PETERSBURG, FL, US