By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – As the season of giving fast approaches, and gifts start changing hands this holiday season, take a moment to think about those men and women who have given so much to ensure generations of safe holiday celebrations.

The staff at L’Observateur has forged a partnership with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office Young Marines Program to create a unique gift-giving program for the men and women at the Southeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Reserve. Our newspaper office will be accepting donations of toiletries, books, travel games, cards and assorted art supplies including canvasses, acrylic paints, brushes and colored pencils, to give to residents at the home.

“We had spent a great deal of time trying to come up with a way to give back to our community for the Christmas season,” said L’Observateur Publisher Sandy Cunningham. “All of our discussions kept coming back to the veterans home. These are the people who fought so hard and sacrificed so much to keep us safe.”

Lt. Brian Bertrand of the St. John Sheriff’s Office, the unit commander for the Young Marines, said his group of young boys and girls are all ready and willing to do their part to help the residents of the home.

“The kids love going over there because the residents come out of the woodwork to see them,” Bertrand said. “Some of the members of my platoon have become great friends with some of the residents.”

Bertrand said many residents at the home are left with little or no other family, and the companionship of regular visitors can go a long way to boosting morale.

“These guys fought hard for us over many generations,” said Bertrand, a former Marine himself. “These are veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. They are of great value to us and were pivotal to where we stand as a nation.”

From now until Dec. 17, the newspaper will be collecting community donations that will be delivered to the home Christmas week by members of the staff and the Young Marines. All donations can be brought to the office, located at 116 Newspaper Drive in LaPlace, just behind Destiny Christian Center on Main Street. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on the program, call the office at 985-652-9545.