NAHANT — If you’ve stepped into the library, police or fire Station recently, you may have noticed flyers hanging around trying to rally support and supplies for soldiers overseas.
The American Legion Auxiliary, a nonprofit organization aimed at enriching the lives of soldiers and veterans, has partnered with the Johnson Elementary School Student Council to encourage students to gather various supplies for soldiers.
Troops requested toiletries (shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, Band-Aids), socks, playing cards and even paperback novels. Collection boxes where residents can drop off donations are stationed at Town Hall, Johnson Elementary School, the police station, the fire station, and the public library.
According to the president of the American Legion Auxiliary, Ester Johnson, the community has delivered a great response to the call for help from American troops. Johnson said this is the organization’s second year partnering with the school.
“It’s a program that sends packages to our deployed military personnel overseas in some really tough places, where things like these are not easily accessible,” Johnson said. “The Johnson school kids are great… The kids were so receptive and so excited to do this great project.”
Johnson noted last year that students strictly collected new white socks for service members — this time. However, the students will be going all-out in support of the troops. “They’re going to collect everything on the flyer, then go and spread word — and I can’t emphasize enough how much the students wanted to get involved,” she said.
She cited Johnson School Principal Kevin Andrews and Superintendent of Schools Rob Liebow for their support in getting the project up and running.
“I want to thank Reading Cooperative Bank because they’re giving us a check to help mitigate some of the postage costs,” Johnson said. “And I also want to thank Town Administrator Tony Barletta and all the department heads and town employees because they’ve all been very gracious about doing this.”
