SSF Senior Center Spreads Love With 2K Handmade Valentines

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA — More than 2,200 California National Guard servicemembers were the beneficiaries of some special cards made with love by a group of senior citizens in South San Francisco. The South San Francisco Magnolia Center, a recreation center for adults over 50, once again took part in "Operation Valentine."

Held annually since 2009, the event was first started by state Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) when he was a member of the state Assembly. Cards are filled with messages of thanks, support and love, and sent to those who will be away from home on Feb. 14.

"This means so much to us," said Master Sergeant (CA) Rebecca Wolkenhauer of the California Military Department.

Wolkenhauer is among the group who helped prep the cards ahead of the holiday to get them shipped overseas on time.

"Our citizen soldiers in the California National Guard do so much for all of us," Hill told the group in January. "They go where we need them. They may be sent overseas, but they also help us at home to fight major fires and cope with other disasters, like floods. Our thanks go to the men and women who serve in the California National Guard. The Valentine’s Day messages from the Magnolia Center let them know how grateful we are for their service."

Hill was once in the California Army National Guard himself, from 1966 to 1972. He served as a staff sergeant.

The project first started as a pre-Valentine's Day crafts activity to send cards to members of the California National Guard from the Peninsula.

"Then the Magnolia Center seniors made it their mission to create valentines for all California National Guard members deployed overseas," Hill's office said in a news release. "When they hit that target, they aimed at making valentines for all deployed members and for National Guard stations in the state. In all, the Magnolia Center has made more than 10,000 valentines since their project began."

This year, the handmade cards were sent to members of the California National Guard deployed worldwide and to units across California.