The State Office of Volunteerism and Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) are collecting donated items to benefit “Stocking for Soldiers.”
“Stocking for Soldiers” is an outreach project focused on military men and women serving overseas during the holidays.
And Division of State Service Centers director Renee Beaman notes that it’s grown from humble beginnings, “It actually was started by a mother. And oftentimes great programs start from a mother’s heart. Judy Travis - her son was deployed to Iraq back in 2003 and she wanted to support him by sending him some goodies.”
Beaman says when Travis sent her son the goodies, he mentioned to his mom that he had a lot of buddies, “So she decided what she would do is galvanize her friends in the community so that they could send stockings - and it’s around the holiday time. And this is the 16th annual year.”
Beaman says last year, volunteers filled over 10,000 personalized, homemade Christmas stockings with more than 45,000 pounds of items.
DHSS is collecting items such as travel-sized toiletries, small candies, gum, DVD’s, small cans of tuna and other non-perishable food items for the stockings.
Financial contributions to cover the cost of postage are also welcome - along with letters of appreciation to a soldier or even the stockings themselves.
Donations are being accepted through the end of November. A complete list of needed items is available here.
Donations are now being accepted at locations organized by the State Office of Volunteerism and starting Oct. 7 at Stockings for Soldiers in the Brandywine Town Center.
Collection barrels are also avaiable at these locations:
Buildings on DHSS’ Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle (on U.S. 13 near I-295): Main Administration Building, Charles Debnam Building and Springer Building. Open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; collection runs through Nov. 28.
Public libraries in New Castle County (all through Nov. 28):
- Bear Library, 101 Governors Place, Bear (10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday and Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Fridays)
- Hockessin Library, 1023 Valley Road, Hockessin (10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Thursdays)
- Newark Free Library, 750 Library Ave., Newark (10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, and Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Thursdays)
And these additional locations through Nov. 11:
- Millville Town Hall, 36404 Road 351, Millville (9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday)
- Georgetown Public Library, 123 W Pine St., Georgetown (10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday)
- Milford Public Library, 11 SE Front St., Milford (9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday)
- Fabulous Salon, 900 Dupont Highway, Milford
