Students at St. Ed's give back to soldiers

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Feb. 28, 2008

FORT DODGE - For the past four years the French Club at St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge has been sending care packages to alumni and family serving overseas.

"We had a student who had just graduated and he was joining the army," said Carolyn Zimmerman, French teacher and French Club moderator. "He was being sent over right away because he had done his basic training during the summer. I thought this would be a good thing to do. It started with him."

The French Club then found other people within the Fort Dodge community who were overseas as well. They try to keep track of alumni and community members to send packages to.

The packages are sent to the soldiers once a month during the school year. On average, there are four to seven boxes sent each time.

"We continue to know more people who are over there," said Zimmerman. "It seems like every year there are more from our recent graduating classes. They know we are doing this and I can't let them down. The people we do hear from, really do appreciate it."

When she receives letters, she shares them not only with the French Club but also with the rest of the school at school Mass. Pictures are also sent with the letters or e-mails sometimes.

One of the ways that the students have raised money for shipping costs is to have students donate money to wear jeans for the day. This year they also received a grant from the United Way and the Community Foundation of Northwest Iowa to help defray the cost of the supplies and the shipping expenses.

Students from the French Club sign up to prepare the packages to be sent. The officers go with Zimmerman to purchase the items.

"They get to choose what they want and they are good at choosing the items that are cheaper," said Zimmerman.

The care packages are filled with various items including individually wrapped snacks (granola bars, rice krispy bars), hard candy, peanuts, trail mix, batteries (for CD players), tooth brushes, toothpaste, soap, hand held video games, crossword puzzles or suduko puzzle books, used books, envelopes, powdered drink mixes, microwavable meals, etc.

Megan Geitz, a senior at St. Ed's, has helped put together packages several times over the past years. She has also written letters to soldiers and brought books to send to them.

"I think this is a good idea because the soldiers have given us so much," she said. "They are so far away from their family and friends and these packages remind them that they are cared about and we are thinking of them. We realize what they have given up to fight for us and we will continue to support them."

Geitz pointed out that Zimmerman "has done a wonderful job with this continuous project, getting the school community involved and making sure that it gets done. I hope everyone recognizes the amount of work and compassion she has given to this project."

Beth Baker, a junior at St. Edmond's and one of the officers of the French Club, goes with Zimmerman to pick out the things they will need. She also signs up for packaging for different months.

"I think this is an excellent project because we're giving back to those people who are defending our country," she said. "It's also so inspirational hearing how much those packages mean to them. We always get letters back from the people we sent the packages to. They are always so touched by them, and it makes you feel good about yourself because your giving back to them and helping them out at the same time." Baker wants the soldiers to know that "we all care about them and support them, and thank them for all they've done and continue doing for all of us."

Lauren Setterdahl, a senior at St. Edmond High School, also helps shop for items for the packages and routinely helps with packing, addressing and sealing.

"This project is a great opportunity for service, and through it we are connected with people protecting us and our country, though they are thousands of miles away," she said. "The project teaches students to take time out of their schedules, no matter how chaotic, to care for someone else, someone who is sacrificing him/herself and putting his/her life on the line for us. Being a soldier is one of the noblest careers in existence, in my opinion, and I feel honored, really, to be able to help them."