ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A stocking chock-full of snacks, toiletries and other essentials can go a long way for a deployed military member away for the holidays.
But there’s an intangible good heading overseas in a couple hundred of these care packages: the comfort of knowing someone out there’s thinking of you.
“It’s just giving back,” said Julieann Hoskins, Army veteran and business controller of programs and projects with Mack Defense.
“The soldiers, they’re far from home and to have something like this to know they’re always thought of, they’re not forgotten and we’re always there to support them — for me it’s full circle.”
Precious cargo
On a breezy Saturday morning, a camo Humvee donning dual American flags, an 800-horsepower, red-white-and-blue beast known as “Jack” Mack and an OD (olive drab) green, cabover behemoth of a dump truck all crept into the parking lot outside the Lehigh Valley Press office along North 26th Street.
Bearing gifts — those now boxed up but soon to be stuffed in a big sock — about a dozen volunteers hopped out of the vehicles to transfer the cargo to another truck.
The group’s first year in the partnership, the Mack Trucks Lehigh Valley Employee Activities Committee put the packages together as part of the Keystone Military Families’ Stocking for Soldiers program.
“It’s just giving back. The soldiers, they’re far from home and to have something like this to know they’re always thought of, they’re not forgotten and we’re always there to support them — for me it’s full circle.”Julieann Hoskins, Army veteran and business controller of programs and projects with Mack Defense
Carol Glass, a member of the Mack committee, said preparations began back in June to have enough time to have everything arranged, packaged and shipped across the pond in time for Christmas.
Mack Trucks retired employees put money together to cover shipping costs, she said, which will run around $2,500.
Two weeks ago, attendees at Mack Trucks Employee Family Day could make donations for the care packages, Glass said, and coloring projects from the event's kids’ area are now included in the care packages.
'Sending some love'
Cindy Mellinger, Central PA project coordinator with Stockings for Soldiers, said 2024 marks her 15th year as part of the project.
“This is a way that they’re going to have some holiday joy, because they can’t be home for the holidays — this way they know that people are sending some love.”Cindy Mellinger, Central PA project coordinator with Stockings for Soldiers
Later this month, the packages will be heading to the Keystone Military Families warehouse in Shoemakersville, Berks County, for overseas packaging and prepping. The group sends between 8,000 and 10,000 stockings a year.
“They’re definitely going to much needed areas all around the world,” Mellinger said. “And this is a way that they’re going to have some holiday joy because they can’t be home for the holidays — this way they know that people are sending some love.”
Mellinger also works as marketing and community relations coordinator with Blue Ridge Communications out of Ephrata, Lancaster County, another partner group with Stockings for Soldiers.
After Thanksgiving, the Mack volunteer committee will start its featuring the Christmas Giving Tree, Glass said.
Mack Trucks Lehigh Valley operates at 7000 Alburtis Road in Macungie. Mack Defense, a subsidiary of Mack Trucks Inc., sells vehicles globally.
