by David Santistevan
TRINIDAD — Since 2003, Operation Trinidad Responds has sent out gift boxes to hundreds of Trinidad and Las Animas County troops who are proudly and currently serving our country in the United State and all over the world. This year, Trinidad Operation Responds will send nine troops gift cards and gift baskets full of homemade cookies and other food items.
Linda Barron, who has been with Operation Trinidad Responds since the beginning, says “it is not about us; we are just helping out. This means so, so, much to our men and women who are fighting for our freedom.” In 2003 the group sent five truckloads of packages to Fort Carson to fly the gifts to troops. All the members of the team agree they do this to let our troops know we at home are thinking about them, supporting them, and praying for a safe return home for every one of them.
It takes a small army to support our military. Wanda Lutz started helping out in 2008 after her husband Jerry, a Vietnam veteran in the Navy, passed away. Debbie Padilla has a son and husband who served in the military. She got involved with the project in 2003 when her son went to Iraq.
Local soldiers stationed around the country will get gift cards and troops fighting overseas will get gift baskets. The baskets contain all sorts of different homemade goodies, pepperoni, chips, candy, beef jerky, popcorn, crackers, and other snacks troops share with one another.
Donations are taken all year by the Las Animas Veterans Memorial Committee (LAVMC), who also do big events Memorial Day Weekend and honor all veterans with their annual luncheon on Veterans Day. For more information, or to donate to Operation Trinidad Responds or any other of the LACVMC yearly activities, contact Linda Barron at 719-846-8223. You may also contact Barron if you have a loved one or family member in the military that would appreciate a gift from home.
Photo by David Santistevan
