South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Students send cards to military personnel and first responders
“The handmade cards by the kids is really part of the writing subject. So they can express through writing their empathy, their compassion, their kindness to those that need it the most.”
— Maritza Sea, Sagemont School guidance counselor
Students at The Sagemont Lower School, 1570 Sagemont Way, in Weston recently created handmade holiday cards for military personnel and first responders through its partnership with Operation Gratitude.
Wishing the heroes in the community and the military a happy holiday, students at the Lower School Campus worked throughout December, creating cards to send as a token of appreciation.
Teaching students the importance of giving back to the community, The Sagemont School has been sending letters to military members and first responders for over a decade. In total, Sagemont sent 250 holidays card to Operation Gratitude.
“Here at Sagemont, we are very strong about community service,” said Sagemont School guidance counselor Maritza Sea, who spearheaded the initiative. “We believe from the very inception of
Sagemont that engaging the kids in the community and community service contributes to character development.
“The handmade cards by the kids is really part of the writing subject,” she said. “So they can express through writing their empathy, their compassion, their kindness to those that need it the most.”
Operation Gratitude, which is an organization seeking to meet the needs of military members and first responders, provides volunteer opportunities for individuals to express their appreciation to those who serve.
Each year, Operation Gratitude sends over 300,000 individually addressed care packages to military and first responder heroes, containing items such as snacks, hygiene products, entertainment and handmade items.
Packages sent carry donated products valued between $45 to $100, and cost the organization $15 to assemble and ship. Visit operationgratitude.com.