Swissvale Students Collect Gifts for Local Veterans

Students at are making sure local veterans know how much they are loved and appreciated over the holidays with a care package collection.

After the service organization at the school discovered the Shoeboxes for Veterans project, the members were so excited they wanted to open it up to the community and beyond.

Terry Ward, an eighth grade teacher, is excited to see the project’s impact.

“Kids can write Christmas notes for the veterans, bring in a small item to be included in a larger package, or bring in their own box,” she said. “A lot of the veterans are there for rehab and social services and one of the nurses said often these are the only presents they get.”

Boxes of gifts, notes and cards will go directly to veterans at the VA Adult Day Health Care Center on Highland Drive in the Highland Park area.  

“I think that the service organization is very involved and as a Catholic school, we show the students the importance of helping others,” Ward said. “With the veterans, we make sure the students know we have the freedom we have because of them.”

Some of the items needed include anything related to the Pittsburgh Steelers, mittens, sweatshirts, scarves, deodorant, Kleenex, tablets and pens, and “lots of socks.” Things they don’t want include mouthwash and aftershave, candy, cough drops or razors.

Playing cards and games, toothbrushes and toothpaste also are needed items.

“I think that anytime that kids go out of their way for adults, it shows the adults there is a lot of good going on in the world,” Ward said. “This kind of reaching out and doing something positive—they are really going to appreciate that kids as young as five are trying to help. I don’t know that veterans realize how much the children appreciate them.”

Keith Zanotti, nurse manager at the center, said the students’ contributions are so important to the veterans, especially over the holidays.

“We have some homeless veterans, veterans who are widows and some of them have no families,” Zanotti said. “We have a lot of elderly patients and sometimes these are the only presents they get. We make sure every veteran gets a present.”

There are 90 veterans enrolled in the program at the center, according to Zanotti.

, a Word of God parent, is thrilled the students are taking on such a meaningful project.

“I think they do so much good for the people of our community and beyond,” Sabol said. “I am delighted that the students have the opportunity to contribute to our veterans. The values and lessons that they can and do learn from giving unto others is just immeasurable.”

Sabol also said it’s a great opportunity for the children to express their sincere appreciation to the men and women who have served the country.

“So many of us take our freedoms for granted, and this is a perfect time of year to express our thanks to those who have afforded us them,” Sabol said.

Word of God started collecting items and boxes on Veterans Day and will continue to do so through Dec. 1, which is the day the boxes are getting picked up. The veterans have a Christmas party Dec. 21, so all items need to be counted beforehand.

The ultimate lesson for the students is showing them that one small good deed can do a world of difference in one person’s life.

“I want them (kids) to realize they have an impact—a little something they do can mean so much to other people and we want them to carry that into their adult lives,” Ward said.