Monroe students support our troops

Second grade students at New Richmond's Monroe Elementary have continued a class tradition of giving up their traditional holiday gift exchange parties in favor of making donations to worthy causes.

This year, students in the classes of teachers Staci Heiden, Jennifer Huelsmann and Melanie Shoemaker collected reading and entertainment items, snacks and health and beauty items from the Yellow Ribbon Support Center's Soldiers' Wish List.

Monroe Elementary second-grade team captains (from left) Jake Riffle, Katie Williams and Evan Hughes present some of the items the class collected for U.S. soldiers to Keith Maupin and Erica Huff from the Yellow Ribbon Support Center in Eastgate.

Room captains Evan Hughes, Katie Williams and Jake Riffle presented the gifts to Erica Huff and Keith Maupin from The Yellow Ribbon Support Center, a non-profit organization that has sent over 17,500 packages to our troops serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Yellow Ribbon Support Center is located 700 Eastgate South Drive, Suite 430, Cincinnati, OH 45245. Anyone wishing to make donations to the center can call Mr. Maupin at 513-752-4310 or contact him by email at keith@yellowribbonsupportcenter.com.

Keith Maupin and Erica Huff (standing with second-grade teacher Staci Heiden) explain the purpose of the Yellow Ribbon Support Center to Monroe Elementary second-grade students who collected items for U.S. Troops.