News
Students send heartfelt greetings to soldiers
02.14.2008
By Stacy A. Anderson
PURCHASE - Troops stationed overseas won't be forgotten this St. Valentine's Day, as local students shower them with chocolate Kisses, colorful Sweetheart conversation candies and heartfelt greetings from home.
Students at Manhattanville College participating in the I Love My Soldier program created hand-made valentines, greeting cards and letters for soldiers deployed in such places as Iraq and Afghanistan.
"For them, it's nice to know people who don't even know them care enough to write a letter and support them," said Michael Seminara, the program's operations director.
The initiative, part of the college's continuing My Soldier pen-pal program, seeks to lift soldiers' spirits because letters and packages often dwindle after the December holidays.
The My Soldier program was founded by Manhattanville graduate and Army 2nd Lt. Juan Salas on Veterans Day in 2004. Salas, who was deployed to Iraq while a college sophomore, served overseas for 14 months. He is currently training in New Jersey.
"He felt bad because he left his soldiers behind," Seminara said. "He still wanted to support them since he wasn't there."
The program has supported more than 175,000 deployed military personnel and garnered more than 400,000 volunteers.
Freshman Kirstin Betsill was in Manhattanville's cafeteria this week, decorating gift bags and writing letters with more than 40 other students. The bags held St. Valentine's Day-themed candy, hats, socks, T-shirts and other goodies.
"They are away from their home and all things familiar during the holidays," Betsill said. "It's a pick-me-up to encourage them and, hopefully, they will be home soon."
Junior Frank Furbacher Jr., a My Soldier volunteer, helps match pen pals, recruit students, reply to inquiries and ship the packages. Last year, he organized a troop drive to help a friend's brother overseas and collected more than 1,000 items.
"There (are) a lot of people who give them grief for being over there; this is a chance to help," Furbacher said. "Through all the politics and point of views on the war, we should really care about our soldiers over there. I could only thank them in so many ways and I thought this would be a great way to do that."
My Soldier has fostered relationships with troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, Kosovo and Africa.
Seminara said the program was one of more than 200 organizations within the U.S. Defense Department's America Supports You network.
"These men and women put their lives at risk. It's important that we tell them that we care and support them," said Manhattanville President Richard Berman, who co-founded the program with Salas. "It's important to recognize those people who are putting their lives at risk, so we can enjoy the prosperity and freedom of this country."
Berman said the program also helps fulfill the school's mission to make students better citizens.
"It was started here and continues to be supported here," he said. "It's a testament to what we do here."