GSW students help troops celebrate Christmas | Events

AMERICUS, GA – A Georgia Southwestern State University psychology class and their professor displayed their art skills Thursday for Operation Desert Support.

ODS is a project that helps troops in Afghanistan celebrate the holidays.

Students filled and decorated stockings with snacks, goodies and other presents made specifically from the community to be sent overseas as a part of ODS for Christmas.

Each stocking is handmade and will include a handmade card.

More than 1,400 U.S. troops have received stockings since the program began.

For more information about Operation Desert Support call 229-931-2316 or 229-924-4476.

Here is the full press release from Georgia Southwestern State University

Georgia Southwestern State University Psychology Professor Chuck Huffman and his Psychology and Modern Life class showcased their arts and crafts skills for a few hours today to help troops in Afghanistan celebrate the holidays.

The class decorated stockings that will be filled with snacks and other goodies. In turn, their stockings will be gathered with stockings from other decorating workdays and sent overseas in a project known as Operation Desert Support (ODS).

ODS was initiated in 2008 by Sumter County 4-H’er Morgan Bowen to show support to troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Through ODS, stockings are still sent overseas to U.S. troops for Christmas.

The stockings are stuffed with items donated from the community.

Each one is handmade, uniquely decorated and contains a handmade card. More than 1,400 U.S. troops have received stockings since the program began. Care packages containing hygiene items, foot powder and socks are also sent.

Bowen’s mother April Bowen helped organize the decorating workday with Huffman. April is involved with another Sumter County 4-H program called Sumter Operation: Military Kids which better serves military youth in all phases of the deployment cycle.

For more information about Operation Desert Support, call (229) 931-2316 or (229) 924-4476.