“Operation Care Package” Brings Joy to Those Far From Home

Once again QCC’s Veteran Affairs and the Veterans Club gathered items for “Operation: Care Package,” to help make the holidays a bit brighter for currently deployed service members. For the last few years the Veterans Club has gathered needed items, cards and letters of well-wishes and put together care packages for those service personnel serving our country overseas.

This year’s donation drive was a particularly successful thanks to the efforts of QCC student veteran Ron Polomski. Mr. Polomski, a business administration major at QCC and a U.S. Navy veteran, brought in 40 additional boxes and bags of items that were donated by Elmwood Street Elementary School and Raymond E. Shaw Elementary School in Millbury. Two of Mr. Polomski’s children attend Elmwood Street Elementary School. After hearing about the donation drive from Mr. Polomski, the schools’ decided to make it a school-wide project.

Already the care packages are making a positive impact to many active duty personnel serving overseas.

“We here in Afghanistan just want to extend are sincere thanks for the care packages you sent to brighten our spirits. They did indeed bring our spirits up.The high point of the packages were the letters. All of us at the Tactical Operations Center read the letters from the kids and all of us had warm smiles from the sentiments they expressed. Thank you and the kids from the bottom of our hearts. Your efforts are much appreciated,” wrote Master sergeant, Ray Brown, of the United States Marine Corps, in an email sent to the Veteran Affairs office.

Closer to home, QCC student veterans celebrated the holidays with camaraderie and song.