Brenda B. Ruby | Altrusa International of Centre County
“All gave some; some gave all.” People in the military have offered their lives to their country, and our cemeteries are full of veterans that died in the line of duty as well as those who completed their time and went on to lead full lives as civilians. These veterans are not forgotten. Wreaths Across America honors those veterans who have passed by having volunteers place a wreath on their graves at more than 2,100 locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad each December while saying the veteran’s name, rank, and a few words of thanks. It is a deeply moving act and a fitting tribute for our military veterans.
Altrusa International of Centre County supports the efforts of Wreaths Across America. Last December, club members donated wreaths and volunteered to help lay 41,000 wreaths at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. This year we are spearheading a donation drive to have 1,000 wreaths donated. For just $15 you can donate a wreath, hand-crafted of all-American balsam and hand-tied with a red velvet bow, to be placed on a veteran’s grave to remember and honor their service. Just go to https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/163935/Overview/?
relatedId=17107&modSw=donate to donate online, or email altrusacentreco@gmail.com and we will mail you a form that you can mail in with a check. Wreaths are laid no matter the weather and are due to be placed this year on December 19. Even better, your donation will go even further if you use the Altrusa link above or mail in one of our forms. Wreaths Across America donates a portion of the wreath money collected back to our Altrusa club, and we use the funds to help pay for books and other expenses for veterans taking classes at Penn State.
This is just one of Altrusa’s many service projects; some of our upcoming projects are creating and distributing Vial of Life packets, “banning dirty books” (cleaning library shelves), and partnering with the Sponsor a Window Bird Feeder Project. Altrusa is an international non-profit organization open to both women and men, making our local communities better through leadership, partnership, and service. We are civic-minded people who strive to create better communities worldwide. Centre County is a rich mixture of university, rural and municipal areas with abundant natural resources, so there are many opportunities for service and partnership. Come join us and “lead to a better community” as we meet (by Zoom right now) on the third Wednesday of every month. For an invite or for more information email altrusacentreco@gmail.com, check out our Facebook page, or browse our website at districttwo.altrusa.org/centrecounty.