Health & Fitness
Supporting the Military by Giving Back at Home
A family gives back to their community by volunteering at The Salvation Army as a gesture of solidarity and love for their soldier, serving in Afghanistan.
By: Danni Eickenhorst, Midland Division
On Tuesday, November 22, Angel Lewis, Chris Word and their family arrived at the Salvation Army in East St. Louis as volunteers, ready to serve a Thanksgiving luncheon to the church and community at large. The mother and son were on a unique mission to give back.
"Over the thanksgiving holiday, we decided to volunteer at the local Salvation Army in East St. Louis in support of my brother PFC Greg Lewis, who is now serving in the United States Army in Afghanistan. In July, my brother along with the rest of his unit was deployed to Afghanistan to complete a year-long tour. As a way to support him for his service to the country, as well as the service of the rest of the military forces, my mother and I decided that we could at least spend a few hours during the holiday season and volunteer our time," said Word.
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"I was put in charge of the turkey and ham pans, while my mother was given the dressing and macaroni and cheese. Over the next few hours, we would not only greet and serve the people, but we would also get to know the other volunteers. What started out as a novel idea, provided to be one of the most rewarding experiences of our Thanksgiving holiday. We chose to partner with The Salvation Army in this experience because we've seen them as a community service leader in East St. Louis."
The family videotaped and photographed their experience and shared it with their soldier, a gesture of love and thanksgiving for his sacrifice this holiday season.