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Helping Those Who Serve During the Holidays

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As the countdown to Christmas begins, some local organizations are trying to do their part to make Christmas a little better for some local military families. Looking for a worthy cause to donate to or need a little help yourself? Here is a list of just a few of the local groups to contact. 

SeaTac USO 

The SeaTac Airport Chapter of the United Service Organization is partnering with the Marines to help with a 2009 Toys for Tots toy drive. Toy donations can be made from now through Dec. 17.  New toys, for children of all ages, can be dropped off at any participating Tully's coffee shop. To find a shop near you visit the Web site at www.tullys.com. The toys will be delivered and distributed to military and civilian families throughout the SeaTac area.

Also, the McChord USO is hosting a food drive at McChord Air Force Base.  Non-perishable food items and gift cards for grocery stores can be donated to the USO at the McChord or the SeaTac branches. The USO plans to use the donated food to make about 100 food baskets that will be handed out to needy military families.  For more information, visit http://www.usopsa.org/index.php?content=mcchord.

Puget Sound Fisher House

The Puget Sound Fisher House hosts several projects for service members and their families that are staying at the house this holiday season. Stockings and toys will be distributed to guests at the house.  A Christmas Eve dinner will be prepared by members of the Mars Hill Church, and on Christmas Day, members of Soldier's Angels chapter (www.soldiersangels.org) from Vancouver will cook Christmas dinner for the guests at the house.  For more information, visit http://www.fisherhousevaps.org/.

"We try to make Christmas feel like home when the soldiers or veterans and their families have to be here during the holidays," said Lorraine Thomas, assistant manager of the Fisher house.  "It is incredible that the women are coming up from Vancouver on Christmas Day.  Most of the time people don't want to give up their holiday for someone else."

Heartbeat for Warriors

Heartbeat for Warriors (http://www.heartbeatforwarriors.org) will be providing support for approximately 800 families this holiday season.  This past weekend, nine volunteers stuffed and labeled about 860 stockings that will be distributed at the Wounded Warriors Battalion holiday party. Heartbeat volunteers are also hosting an adopt-a-family program for Wounded Warriors and their families. To participate, families must submit an application that includes a Christmas wish list. 

Currently the organization has about 75 families adopted and many adopters waiting for families to assist, said Theresa Roberts, a retired sergeant major who serves as the volunteer coordinator for Heartbeat.

"We have soldiers who need help who just forget to fill out the application," she said. "We will probably have a bunch of people sign up at the last minute.  We will help them up until December 24,but the sooner they sign up the better."

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