The commissary at Quantico Marine Corps base may be thousands of miles away from the North Pole, but that’s exactly where some of Santa’s most dedicated “elves” gathered Thursday morning as they loaded up shopping carts with enough food to supply 30 needy local families for 10 days.
Empty grocery carts lined up in the store’s back stockroom at 7 a.m. were soon filled with everything from frozen turkeys, stuffing, canned vegetables, fresh fruit, bread, milk, butter and cereal by members of Quantico Chapter 44 of The National Sojourners, who contributed money to cover half the cost of the food while vendors at the commissary donated the other half. Four Marines assigned to the Officers Candidates School were also on hand to help load up the carts with foodstuffs.
“We’ve been doing this for 35 years,” explained retired Marine colonel and Quantico Sojourner Frank Harris. “We’re a part of Quantico. We all served in the armed forces.”
Harris has been running the effort on behalf of the Quantico Sojourners since 1976.
“The food will be delivered today,” he said. “It puts tears in your eyes when you go to some of these people’s houses.”
Quantico commissary store director Carrie Butler is also a big supporter of the effort, said Linda Brigham, who works as a merchandiser at the facility.
“The commissary really backs us when we do things like this,” added Brigham. “Most of the vendors are dedicated to this.”
Quantico base Sgt. Maj. Rodney Robbins provided the names of 18 needy families that the effort supplied with groceries, while members of the Quantico Sojourners provided eight names. A local Masonic Lodge and community group each provided two names.
The smile never left the face of 1st Sgt. William Carter as he watched his Marines load up the carts.
“This is part of our community,” he said. “We just want to help out.”
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