Ten-year-old Sarah McPortland was more than happy to be boxing donations for the troops on Saturday.
“My dad was in the military,” said McPortland. “So this is important to me.”
McPortland, along with other volunteers, spent their Saturday afternoon packaging donations and participating in Operation Forget Me Not at Newhall Church of the Nazarene.
“(Soldiers) fight for our country and I want them to feel safe and at home,” McPortland said.
The operation was put on by Prayer Angeles for the Military, an organization geared towards supporting the troops, before the Easter holiday.
“We want to let them know that they are loved and appreciated away from home,” said Barbie Aston, one of the event organizers.
About 30 people helped out by sorting donations, decorating cards and loading packages onto trucks.
“Anything to help our soldiers,” said volunteer Sandy Weatherman. “To support them when they are away from home is just wonderful.”
Weatherman, along with other mothers from the Miss SCV Scholarship Program, felt that encouraging their children to volunteer taught them valuable lessons.
“It’s an important opportunity for them to help out our community and serve everyone,” Weatherman said.
Saturday’s event held a special place in Aston’s heart, as her son spent time in Iraq to serve his country.
“They sacrifice a lot, sometimes their lives,” Aston said.
“They put themselves in danger so we can live the life we live here in the United States.”
