Evergreen Elementary Students Prepare Special Deliveries

With Valentine's Day a few weeks away, students, parents and teachers shared the sweetness of their hearts with care packages for military personnel.

The cafeteria/auditorium was a flurry of activity as Jenny Cochran and her fourth graders, Home and School members Heather Lewis, Katie Kupetz and Dana Gergel and one of Evergreen's "adopted" Marines Billy Holdsworth, filled packing boxes with snacks, baby wipes, canned food, magazines and crosswords, toothpaste and brushes, handmade cards, coloring books, notebooks and envelopes.

Kupetz, Gargel and Lewis gave special acknowledgement to Snyder's of Hanover and Gemini Salon for their respective, large donations of snacks and shampoo and conditioner.

The care packages will go to three women currently serving in the Army -- Stephanie Rees, Tracy Coleman and Cristen Cieslack.

After the boxes were packed and ready to be sealed, Cochran spoke to her students about "how special (getting a care package) would make someone feel in a place that's soooo lonely."
(These women) will see "my old school is thinking about me," she continued to say.

"That must feel good," one of the students said in agreement.

Another student asked Holdsworth if people cried while reading their cards.

"Oh yeah, all the time," Holdsworth said.

Holdsworth, who is a PV grad, received numerous care packages from local organizations and letters from his Evergreen penpals during his fours years with the Marine Corps as he served in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Japan.

"It just means the world" to receive care packages from home, Holdsworth said, adding that it's "like Christmas" when the boxes would arrive.

In addition to working with the current fourth graders, Holdsworth also met the now-fifth-grade class who "adopted" him and wrote to him last year.
"It's nice to meet the kids, and it's important for today's youth to (learn) to say 'thank you' to a service member" for what that person has done for the U.S., helping citizens "to live as free as we do."

Holdsworth is currently a full-time student at Montgomery County Community College. After he earns his associate's degree, he wants to pursue his bachelor's in criminal justice.

Perkiomen Valley Patch was provided the following information about Rees, Coleman and Cieslack:

• Stephanie Rees attended South Elementary and was a 2005 graduate of Perkiomen Valley High School.  She then graduated from Drew University in New Jersey with a degree in Economics and was a member of the Equestrian Team.  Stephanie entered the Army on November 19th 2009 and upon completion of Basic Training, attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA and Army Logistics University at Fort Lee, VA.  She was stationed at Fort Knox, KY until being deployed to Fort Arifjan Kuwait where she is a First Lieutenant with the 233rd Transportation Company, serving as the Maintenance Platoon Leader and the Company Executive Officer. Her company was tasked with recovering all "heavy trucks" from Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn. They are currently awaiting their new assignment.

• Tracy Coleman is a Major in the Army Corps of Engineers. She has been in the reserves since 1991 when she graduated from Bucknell University.  Tracy studied civil engineering.  This is her second tour of duty.  At the moment she is stationed in Afghanistan.  Tracy is the mother of two children who are currently living in Walkersville, MD with their dad.

• Christen Cieslack is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Corps of Engineers.  Chris has been in the reserves since 1991 when she graduated from Penn State University.  Chris studied civil engineering.  This is her second tour of duty.  At the moment she is stationed in Afghanistan.  Chris is the mother of two children who are living in Ben Avon, PA with their dad.