The Christmas season is finally here, which means millions of Americans are spending time with their families now more than ever. Sadly, members of the U.S. military often don’t get the luxury of spending Christmas with their loved ones, as they are still deployed overseas.

When a group of elementary school children heard how many military servicemen and women are separated from their families on Christmas, they immediately wanted to do something about it.

Fifth grade students at Bethlehem Elementary School in New Hampshire are sending 600 donated Christmas trees to soldiers all over the world. This is their contribution to the Trees for Troops program, which is in its 14th year of operation.

Sam Patree, one of the first Bethlehem students to participate in the Trees for Troops program, is now a Marine himself. He just received his first Christmas tree from Trees For Troops fourteen years after he sent them to members of the military as a child!

“I know how it feels to be away from your family and your loved ones during the holidays. It’s a really tough season,” Sam said. “These kids are supporting the troops, learning about them and what they do, and with that, it builds respect for everybody.”

This is about more than just teaching children how much their good deeds can mean to others. It also teaches them valuable life skills like fundraising, time management, and the importance of resource allocation.

“They learn how to raise money,” said organizer Nigel Manley. “They do cold calling. They write all the tags that send special messages to the troops, and we put them on the trees.”

God bless these students for taking the time to help soldiers have a better Christmas!