Sweets for the Soldiers

Juniper Village is home to 26 Veterans of War, several surviving spouses of Veterans and friends and families of those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As food month approached, and the June connections calendar was being planned, the soldiers were on our minds.  The brainstorming began... Food... Soldiers... Memories...Volunteerism... Hmmmm.  What could one possibly create to capture the essence of how we appreciate what all the Soldiers are doing for the greater good of our world?  We all remember the smell of sweet fresh baked cookies and how that felt to be with family.  Since smell is the sense closest linked to memory and emotion, the Sweets for the Soldiers cookie baking project was top on our list!   Imagine a life of MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), re hydrated food and that complimentary miniature bottle of Tabasco sauce to spice up the nutrition.  Then imagine being in South-Central Asia, in what seems like worlds away from your family, and receiving 22 dozen home-made chocolate chip cookies made in the USA especially for you!  Imagine opening that box, not expecting the wafting of delicious cookies in the air.  Soon, one of our local police officers, David Gredler, who is serving in Afghanistan with the Provincial Reconstruction Team out of the Army's Bravo Battery in Oil City, will be opening just that! 

The Residents of Juniper Village are Baking cookies each Monday this summer to send to the soldiers in David Gredler's Outfit.  The Provincial Reconstruction Team is part of the effort to rebuild the schools and hospitals in Afghanistan.  The soldiers will soon be receiving the next batch of peanut butter cookies that are being packaged and prepared for shipment. 

David Gredler is the husband of our very own Chef Erin Gredler and a member of our Juniper Family.  The Residents of Juniper Village are delighted knowing they are Nurturing his Spirit of Life and bringing a smile to the faces of the Soldiers.  We all look forward to a visit from David upon his return, to which we plan to add some ice cold milk to some freshly baked cookies for him!  If you are interested in volunteering to assist in this project, please contact Connections Director, Pam Mitchell at 333.4400.  The Residents gather in the Colonel Walker room at Juniper on Mondays at 1PM.