Callaway EOC adopts soldiers, families for holidays

Debo Funeral Home employee Spencer Palmer loads Lori Dillon's car with care packages to send to troops overseas during the funeral home's drive last year. This year, the Callaway County EOC is asking the county to send care packages including toiletries, snacks and letters for the drive.
Debo Funeral Home employee Spencer Palmer loads Lori Dillon's car with care packages to send to troops overseas during the funeral home's drive last year. This year, the Callaway County EOC is asking the county to send care packages including toiletries, snacks and letters for the drive.

The Callaway County Emergency Operations Center hopes to make the holidays a little cheerier for soldiers overseas and a family closer to home.

The EOC is holding an Adopt-A-Soldier drive with the help of Debo Funeral Home, and is also adopting a family through SERVE, Inc.'s Adopt-A-Family program.

Those interested in providing a soldier with a care package may contact Amanda Craighead at [email protected], or Chastity Winingear at [email protected]. Both may be contacted by phone at 573-592-2486.

Donations and items will be accepted until Nov. 28 in order to be prepared for shipping by Dec. 1. Debo Funeral Home will provide the boxes and cover the cost of shipping.

Craighead said that the EOC had participated in philanthropic projects before, but wanted to broaden their scope this year.

"Last year we did Shop With A Cop, a local fundraiser Fulton Police Department puts on, but this year we decided to branch out and start our own," she said. "This is our first year we've done Adopt-A-Family and Adopt-A-Soldier."