FRANKLIN — With Christmas still weeks away, Franklin families are already thinking about service members who will spend the holidays away from home.
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At the Franklin Public Library, children and adults selected Christmas cards to send to members of the military, offering messages of thanks and a reminder that they are not forgotten.
The effort is being led by Karen Van Der Molen, a retired Franklin resident whose longtime hobby of making cards has grown into a mission to connect with service members during the holidays.
“When I retired, I realized that I needed something to do with myself, something with a purpose,” Karen said.
Karen already had a lot of card-making supplies when she began sending handmade cards through a program called Cards for Soldiers. She estimates she has sent more than 40,000 cards over the years.
To get more people involved this year, Karen has partnered with the Franklin Public Library, opening the project to more children, families and community members who want to participate.
For 9-year-old Luella, she decorated her card with a gingerbread family to remind the soldiers of the people waiting for them at home.
“It’s to remind them of their own family,” Luella said.
Inside, she kept her message simple: “Thank you for your service.”
Volunteer Danielle Kenney also wrote a message that recognized both service members and the families who support them.
“Wrote thank you for your service and sacrifice and hoping that they can share that with their family too, ’cause I know families are also making sacrifices for the service members,” Kenney said.
So although there were different cars and different handwriting, it was the same message of gratitude and support.
“I want them to know that we’re thinking about them. We appreciate their service and that they’re not alone,” she said.
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