VGCC Students Send Letters to Soldiers
A group of Vance-Granville Community College students recently made an effort to support members of the United States Armed Forces serving overseas.
VGCC President Randy Parker suggested that the college’s Literary Arts Club take inspiration from Any Soldier, Inc. (http://www.anysoldier.com/), which is an initiative to send messages and care packages to members of the U.S. armed forces in harm’s way who receive little or no mail. Letters and packages are simply addressed “To Any Soldier.” More than 4,000 Americans have volunteered to reach out to servicemen and women through Any Soldier since the effort began in 2003.
Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Larry Bobbitt, a Vance County Schools speech language pathologist and Iraq veteran, gave Literary Arts club officer Gertrude P. Marrow of Henderson the addresses of two members of the armed services serving in Iraq, SFC Sherrard Jones and Sgt. Dontea Davis. Both of them have parents who work at Lelia B. Yancey Elementary School in Henderson. In 2006, Marrow and the Literary Arts Club worked with third-graders at L.B. Yancey on a similar letter-writing project.
The club set up a table on the college’s main campus with paper and a sign encouraging students “to write a letter to a soldier and let them know that you appreciate what they do.” For example, one student, Garrett Fletcher, wrote, “I respect you guys a lot…I hope one day that all of you reunite with families and friends.”
The club also raised funds, including through a snack sale at a VGCC Vanguards men’s basketball game, and made donations to create large care packages full of snacks, gum, candy, magazines and even dental floss. Packages and letters were sent on Dec. 1 to Jones and Davis, with instructions to share with their fellow servicemen and women. Marrow said that she hoped that the simple items and words of encouragement would lift the spirits of the troops, especially during the holiday season.
Above: From left, VGCC students Gertrude Marrow of Henderson, and brothers Bryan and Bobby Burnside, both of Franklinton, stuff envelopes with letters to U.S. troops overseas. Bryan, a college-transfer student, Bobby, an Electronics Engineering Technology major and Marrow, who is working on an Early Childhood/Teacher Associate degree, are all members of the VGCC Literary Arts Club. (VGCC photo)
