Ashland Family Reaches 100 Military Care Packages in 12th Year of Christmas Drive
ASHLAND, Ohio — What started with a flyer sent home from Edison Elementary School has become a Christmas tradition for Lisa Kramer and her family. This year, in the drive’s 12th year, they reached a goal Kramer had been working toward since the beginning: packing 100 care packages for military service members.
Kramer’s son Kyle was 7 and in second grade when another Edison parent organized a collection. When the drive didn’t return the following year, Kramer asked about it at the school and decided to keep it going. She used money she had set aside to buy supplies and said the school pointed her to the VFW, where donations had been taken.
“I really enjoyed doing it, and it’s for a really good cause,” Kramer said. She said the family didn’t know anyone in the military when they started. Over the years, people from her church and some of her coworkers have helped with the effort.
Every box gets the same assortment, including cookies, candy, a Christmas card, a puzzle and everyday items such as baby wipes, shampoo, soap, razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Campbell’s Snacks donated 100 boxes of cookies, and Kramer said she saved extra money this year to help cover what the family still needed.
The family also writes messages by hand in Christmas cards so more service members can hear from them, even if they don’t receive a package. Between saving for supplies, gathering donations and writing the cards, Kramer said the drive takes work throughout the year.
The family had considered making this its final year. Kramer said they began reconsidering after talking with a few people about the project.
