A Connecticut woman has brought veterans holiday cheer for more than a decade. She’s doing it again this year.
A New Haven woman is organizing her 15th “Stockings for Soldiers” event during which she collects multiple items for veterans and creates stockings that will be delivered to patients at the VA Connecticut Medical Center in West Haven.
Lisa Siedlarz said the donations being sought are: full size bars of soap, socks, shaving cream, toothpaste, individually wrapped tooth brushes, medium sized hand/body lotion and deodorant. Also, granola bars, snack sized packages of raisins, chapstick, puzzle books, new pens, individually wrapped hard candies and life savers, snack sized cookies such as Oreos or Chips Ahoy, purse-sized tissue packets, gum, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, Slim Jims, handmade cards, and candy canes.
Siedlarz noted that dollar stores are “a great place to shop for most of these items.”
“The Barbasol shave cream is a good size, not too large,” she said. “You can get hand lotion that is larger than travel size, but not the huge bottles. “I usually buy multi packs of socks at Target or Walmart or Kohl’s.”
The VA Connecticut Healthcare System serves veterans from across Connecticut, including at the West Haven VA Medical Center, the campus in Newington and community-based clinics.
Siedlarz said she also is seeking volunteers who crochet or knit to make hats and has donated yarn she can supply to those who make the hats. “We have 250 made so far, but our goal is 500,” she said.
Any money donated will be used to buy goods to stuff in Christmas stockings, Siedlarz said.. The donation deadline is Dec. 4.
“The stockings will be delivered to the VA. Hospital in West Haven, Siedlarz said. “Thank you in advance for your generosity.”
For information on how to donate, contact Lisa Siedlarz at 203-623-0857 or at Lisa@SoHunewhaven.org.
