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Treats For Troops Branches Out With Christmas Tree Project

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By TONY HOLT, Hernando Today

Published: October 21, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Treat the Troops was founded on a simple concept: baking cookies.

A woman in South Carolina decided a few years ago that troops in Iraq would enjoy batches upon batches of homemade cookies - and she was right. Today, the charity group receives 250 requests per month from military men and women overseas.

With the holiday season fast approaching, volunteers with Treat the Troops wanted to do something different: They are sending miniature Christmas trees.

'We really care,' said Barbara Newlin, a local volunteer. 'I think it's important for soldiers to keep their morale up.'
Newlin is married with no children and does not have any relatives or close friends serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. The same goes for Alice La Placa, a third-grade teacher at Moton Elementary School.

The two agreed to team up and provide a morale boost for those fighting overseas. It also is a way for La Placa's students to learn about what is going on elsewhere in the world.

'When you're 8 or 9 years old, you think the world circles around you,' La Placa said. 'I wanted them to know what the soldiers are doing for them.'

La Placa and Newlin led the class through an arts-and-crafts session. The students made ornaments to go with the 18-inch tall trees. Octagon, heart- and star-shaped construction paper cut-outs were coated with glue and shiny sequins.

The 20 students wrote cards in addition to making the ornaments.

'Dear soldier,' one read. 'Thank you for protecting America. Your friend, Kaycee.'

For 9-year-old Cody Lewis, the project made him recall the stories he heard about his grandfather, a military veteran who served during the Vietnam War.

'He almost got killed,' said Cody, whose eyes widened as he told the story in more detail. 'A sniper shot him straight in his finger.'

With a simple ring of the bell and some soft coaxing on the part of their teacher, the students sat still in their chairs and paid attention.

'They're thousands and thousands of miles away,' La Placa said, referring to the U.S. troops in Iraq. 'We have a lot of soldiers half a world away, thousands of miles away.'
Newlin said the founder of Treat the Troops, Jeanette Cram, is a friend. Her sister designs Cram's Web site, and the three usually get together when Newlin visits South Carolina.

Cram will be sending about 200 trees this year, and another volunteer in Iowa plans to send 100. Newlin herself will deliver 200 trees to one of the local post offices Nov. 6.

They will be packed three days earlier by a group of volunteers at the Silverthorn Community Center, she said. Along with the trees, volunteers will be sending goodie-filled stockings, cards and letters.

According to the group's Web site, Treat the Troops volunteers have baked and shipped nearly 670,000 cookies.

The concept caught fire in no time after Cram applied for nonprofit status a few years ago.

'It just has exploded,' Newlin said. 'Soldiers are online often. This really spread through word of mouth.'

Because so many people bake cookies and other desserts for the soldiers and Marines during the holidays, Treat the Troops will take a short break from baking and shipping once the trees are sent next month. Volunteers will resume their work in January.

Other students at other local schools also have chipped in for Newlin and her charity.

A local shipping business, Goin' Postal, also is teaming with Treat the Troops by serving as a drop-off location for 'Stockings for Soldiers.' The store will collect small items to put into the stockings, which will be mailed the same time as the Christmas trees, Newlin said.

For information, go to www.treatthetroops.org, or e-mail Newlin at emailbar bara@bellsouth.net.

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