Cookie Drive brings taste of home to Airmen

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, ID, UNITED STATES

12.21.2017

Story by Airman Chester Mientkiewicz 

366th Fighter Wing

Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho -- Volunteers gathered more than 6,600 cookies for single Airmen living in the dormitories Dec. 18 during a cookie drive here.

“We’re just giving the Airmen a little taste of home,” said Jenny Kunkel, MHAFB Key Spouse president. “We know that a lot of Airmen won’t make it home this holiday season.”

This is Kunkel’s 12th year of volunteering in Air Force cookie drives. Her previous locations were Elmendorf AFB, Alaska and Tyndall AFB, Florida.

“This is one my favorite things to volunteer for,” Kunkel said.

The cold winter environment in Idaho poses some unique challenges. However, those challenges didn't prevent volunteers at Mountain Home AFB from contributing to the project.

“This is my second year doing the cookie drive here,” said Theresa Brynteson, cookie drive volunteer. “We just try to share a taste of home to those in the dormitories away from their families. I always get excited for it because I know the impact it’s going to have on the Airmen.”

Approximately 40 volunteers helped make the event a success with everything from collecting cookies at the cookie drive, to boxing up cookies. Countless cookie-contributors spent extra time in their holiday season to bake cookies for the Gunfighter Airmen.

“Everyone loves to bake cookies,” Kunkel said. “Sharing them with Airmen is just a wonderful thing.”

At the end of the Cookie Drive, squadron first sergeants picked up loads of the boxed cookies and dispersed them throughout the dormitories to the single Airmen.

“We are so grateful for the commissary,” Brynteson said. “They donated a lot of resources to make this happen.”

Thanks to those volunteers and bakers, Airmen will get a touch of holiday warmth this holiday season.

• Date Taken: 12.21.2017
• Date Posted: 12.21.2017 14:24
• Story ID: 259882
• Location: MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, ID, US