“Dear soldier, thank you for serving our country. Holidays are coming and I hope you have a good one. You are in my prayers. So have a merry Christmas from some of your friends at school. I hope this will cheer you up. It’s fun to write to you. So I hope you are happy. Bye, bye!”

With a bit of glue, some artistic talent and a few kind words, students from St. Mary’s School in Menomonee Falls brought smiles to veterans at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center without even being in the room.

The homemade holiday cards were given out at the veterans’ holiday gathering volunteers on December 16.

“Isn’t that nice?” muttered Lyle Gier, a resident at the Medical Center as he gazed at his card. “They did such a good job.”

More than 80 cards were made by the students for the veterans. Volunteers from the Red Cross set out the cards, and helped the veterans as they celebrated the holidays.

The cards and volunteers are part of the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces, which supports veterans, soldiers and their families across the nation. During a crisis, Red Cross caseworkers are available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to link soldiers and their families separated by deployments and trainings. In southeastern Wisconsin, volunteers provide a few hours of fun for the veterans and their families at the Zablocki VA Medical Center every Wednesday. The program at the VA Medical Center has been ongoing for more than 40 years.

The American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin relies on donations of time and money so they can provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies in Dodge, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties. To donate your time, please visit our Volunteer page. Financial donations can be made online through our secure contribution site.You can also support the Red Cross online by becoming a fan on our facebook page and following us on Twitter.