Lynn students help send cards to troops overseas

LYNN – Students from Breed Middle School’s Leadership Academy delivered a slice of home Tuesday destined for soldiers serving overseas during the holidays.”I think it’s a really good thing to do because it’s hard to be away from your family during the holidays,” said academy member Rosa Pinto. “I wouldn’t want to be away from my family.”Under the direction of Leadership Academy Advisor Julie Collins, students took part in Operation Christmas Card, which aims to collect cards written out to soldiers serving overseas during the holidays.”Our cards will get blended into the other 80,000 being delivered,” she said.Thirty students piled on a bus to head to Liberty Hall in Shrewsbury to deliver their cards in person.According to its Facebook page, Operation Christmas Cards started as a small effort at Liberty Churches with a goal to collect and send 10,000 cards to troops serving overseas. That first year, 2009, more than 87,000 cards were collected and shipped. In 2010 nearly 140,000 cards were sent out.Collins was impressed with the Leadership Academy’s effort to pitch in.”It’s our first time ever doing this,” she said. “We started off a little slow on the go. We started at the Veterans Day assembly with 200 cards.”But word spread and students said the cards began pouring in.”We passed the word and teachers helped out,” said academy member Cindy Montesinos.Collins said students, staffers and even kids from the Drewicz Elementary School on Hood Street dropped off cards for the project.”It was a group effort,” said academy member Bryant Vides.The cards, which were stacked neatly in bundles and put in boxes ready for transport, were addressed simply to soldiers serving overseas. It might sound impersonal, but student Jerry Miron said it was done so the cards could go to anyone.”We didn’t know who would get the cards,” he said. “If it would be a Marine or Navy or Army.”Juan Vasquez said he thinks the project is a worthwhile one.”I think it’s a nice and helpful way to make the soldiers feel special,” he said. “It’s a special feeling when you receive a card.”