Operation Holiday Cheer to the Kentucky National Guard (Supporting Families of Soldiers and Literacy)

This year’s Lexington Service Committee plans included developing a Holiday project. Our research led us to the KY National Guard Child and Youth Program’s Operation Military Cheer which typically benefits 300 children of members of our Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, KY. Contact was made with Cindy Culver, the Lead Child and Youth Programs Coordinator, and Altrusa of Lexington’s offer to provide “books” was immediately welcomed. In mid-October 70 books were purchased at reduced costs from First Book Marketplace with a $200 grant received from District Six. Club members participating in our November Service Basket donated books and cash totaling $485 in support of our “Operation Holiday Cheer” project. A coworker of our one of our Club’s Co-Presidents donated books valued at $202, and a former Altrusan donated books valued at $100. Using the cash from the Service Basket and the generous employee discount from a local bookseller, we were able to purchase books of more than $300 value for $197. Altrusa labels were placed in the nearly 250 books we secured in the course of the project. Our Service Chairs were invited to Boone National Guard Center and delivered the books to Cindy Culver in November, 2020.