News

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – The holidays may be over but the good will spread by a team of U.S. Transportation Command and Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command workers will linger for months to come, if not years. 

Each year a team of USTRANSCOM and SDDC contractors, civilians and their family members participate in “The Spirit of Christmas” and adopt two families in the local area to help provide them much needed, food, clothing, household items and gifts for Christmas. 

According to Bill Howard, a contractor for USTRANSCOM and organizer of the event, “The Spirit of Christmas” has been helping families since 2004.   Since then, nearly 20 families, located throughout St. Theresa’s parish in Belleville, have had a better holiday thanks to the generosity of people and a local business.

This is the most rewarding time of the year for me” Howard said. “You get to interact with the families on a personal basis and see first-hand how the help makes a difference in their lives.

“Additionally,” Howard continued, “Weekends Only, a St. Louis based furniture business, has provided thousands of dollars of furniture each year, including complete bed sets, living room sets and kitchen sets to these families that in a lot of cases are without enough beds to sleep on.”

The program is not sponsored by any military organization and the team provides donated items based on a wish list submitted by the sponsored families. 

“This was our biggest and best year yet,” Howard said.  “It is truly a life changing event for these families.  We are blessed to be able to do this each year.”

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