GALION — On Monday evening, the Galion MOMS group gathered to package approximately 86 boxes to be sent to service men and women who are miles away from home during the holiday season. It’s something that is near and dear to the volunteers who make this happen nearly every month of the year.
MOMS — short for Mothers of Military Service men and women — got started by a group of four military service mothers who worked together at Galion City Schools back in 2010.
“We decided that the only people who could understand what we were going through at the time were other parents who were in the same situation,” said Nancy Green. Green is one of the teachers who has been involved from the beginning.
Gloria Smith got involved around 2011 as soon she found out about the Galion group. Smith and her husband Jerry, both Air Force Veterans, have a son who is serving in the Army.
“As veterans ourselves, Jerry and I know and understand how important it is to get a package from back home,” Smith said. “And the support from other military parents is valuable for all of us.”
The group has worked hard for the past month collecting donations to be sent to any deployed service men and women from Galion, Crestline and the surrounding area. They have also been given a list by the 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield that they will be sending packages to for the next couple of months.
“Most of those who are receiving our packages won’t be home until after Easter of 2019,” Nancy Green noted. “We want to be sure they know they are appreciated and not forgotten.”
For Gloria Smith and others, that means sacrificing her personal time and money to make sure the boxes are packed full and sending them goes off without a hitch.
“My wife doesn’t like to say it, but she gives a lot of her time to sort the postage and customs arrangements that go into sending these boxes on her own,” said Jerry Smith. “And she will shop for extra items on her own just to be sure that each box is fully stocked with goodies. She works hard to be sure this happens for everyone involved.”
Without a doubt, everyone who participates feels the same way. Between packing boxes and signing cards, every volunteer was busy helping on Monday.
