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With the season’s hustle and bustle of the town streets,
the hurry to send out cards to our family and friends, the last minute
shopping trips, and the scurry to make sure the house is ready for
out-of-town guests, it is easy to lose our joy. Many of us have worried
that the Christmas season is too materialistic, and we question how we
keep from losing touch with the true meaning behind the season.
Likewise, it can be hard to try and keep a joyful and giving attitude
when our televisions, newspapers, and Internet are filled with negative
and disheartening stories. But there are opportunities everywhere where
we can be reminded of the basic goodness in the American people.
Last week I, along with the Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, had the
opportunity to visit Fort Lee, one of our military installations in the
Fourth Congressional District. As the Representative in Congress for
Fort Lee and Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Readiness
Subcommittee, I am frequently briefed on the plans of the installation
as they prepare for growth as a result of the 2005 BRAC process, and I
have continually witnessed what a dedicated leadership team the base
has. On this particular visit, I was able to see first-hand what the
community is doing to enhance the quality of life for soldiers and their
families on and off the base.
During the visit, I was taken to a building typically used as a
warehouse on the installation. As I entered the building, I was absorbed
by the sights and sounds of energetic people, bustling excitement, red
and green decorations, the smell of baked goods, and mountains of toys.
Fort Lee’s Holiday Helper Program was in full swing, and volunteers were
busily making their way back and forth across the warehouse.
Fort Lee’s Holiday Helper Program is a volunteer effort sponsored by
Army Community Services. The Holiday Helper Program’s purpose is to
provide toys, services, and food to those service members who might not
otherwise have the means to provide some of those things for their
family. Parents who participate in the program are able to select three
gifts for each child, and Holiday Helper volunteers on the site are
ready to gift wrap the presents. The Holiday Helper program has been an
on-going tradition at Fort Lee, and one that has a profound impact on
their community.
As I stood in the warehouse watching the grateful faces of the
participating parents, the serving attitudes of the volunteers, and the
bonding and joy that came to all involved, I couldn’t help but be
reminded of the giving and hopeful nature of the season, and be
reaffirmed that moments like these are the ones that matter the most.
The basic goodness of the American people is alive and well all across
America, and it is found in moments like these – when communities,
organizations, families, and individuals willingly come together and
make contributions of their time for the purpose of giving and bringing
joy to others so that we may all have a wonderful and memorable season.
This week, no matter how you and your family
celebrate the holidays, I hope you will take time to reflect on the true
meaning of giving that lies behind the Christmas season – to remember
those who are serving our country, to serve those who are needy or sick,
to be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy as a nation, to bring joy to
those around you, and to be thankful for our loved ones. This season,
remember the goodness of America.
Congressman Forbes takes a tour of the Holiday Helper
program workshop at Fort Lee, Virginia on Friday, December 14, 2007.
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