Hill City seniors support veterans gift shop

Making spirits bright. That is exactly what the Hill City Senior Citizens set out to do for the upcoming holiday season. The organization once again led a community-wide effort to collect gifts to benefit veterans at the Hot Springs VA Medical Center.

Chaired by Pat Forrer, the charitable initiative gathered gifts, wrapping materials, gift cards and cash donations to support the American Legion Auxillary’s (ALA) pop-up Christmas Gift Shop. The shop allows veterans to “shop” for Christmas presents for their loved ones at no cost.

Set up like a store with men’s, women’s and children’s sections, veterans are assisted in shopping for gifts for their loved ones.

“We try to make it like a little department store,” said Susie Clyde of the ALA. 

“They pick out house coats and slippers and jewelry,” said Clyde. “Because we have younger veterans up here, we get a lot of kids’ toys and baby stuff.”

“The veterans come down, they pick out gifts for their families, we wrap them and we mail them to their families,” said Clyde. “Most of the veterans here at the VA can’t afford to go shopping for their families.”

To help with the effort, collection boxes were provided at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, The Little White Church and Community Lutheran Church. The Hill City American Legion Post No. 160 donated 10 $25 gift cards and provided volunteers to deliver the 16 boxes of gifts and other items to Hot Springs. Chuck Trimble, Alan Case and Susan Sanders loaded and delivered the donations last Wednesday. 

“We are always blessed by wonderful response to this project by the citizens and businesses of our community,” said Forrer. 

This year, Hill City residents and local businesses contributed 362 gifts, along with gift cards, cash and checks, totaling $1,425. Monetary gifts will be used to help cover the cost of postage for mailing the packages. 

“I always look forward to Hill City bringing stuff down,” said Clyde. “They’re wonderful.”

The impact of the these donations goes far beyond the gifts themselves. For some veterans, the program has helped them rekindle family connections.

“I could tell you story after story of how this gift shop program has brought some of the veterans back to their families that they’ve been estranged from for years,” said Clyde. 

She shared a story from last year’s pop-up shop. 

“We had a guy come in last year that was shopping for his grandsons, and I said, ‘Well, do you know about how big they are?’” recalled Clyde. 

He admitted that he’d never met them. With help, he chose items to send to the whole family. 

“A month later, they came and visited him and he got to see his grandsons for the first time,” said Clyde. 

For many veterans, the assistance restores a sense of dignity, joy and connection that can’t be wrapped in paper or tied with a bow.

“There are so many guys and gals that have come down to shop for their families and given us hugs and said thank you,” said Clyde.