Saddleback delivers a “taste of home” to Camp Pendleton Marines
Video Production Specialist Mark Kruhmin and EOPS Specialist Lori Parra deliver cookies to the First Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton. (Saddleback College)
To deliver a “taste of home” to marines at Camp Pendleton during the holiday season, on Wednesday, Dec. 16, members of Saddleback College’s Classified Senate delivered more than 200 plates of home-made cookies to marines at the Military Police station, the First Marine Regiment, and the School of Infantry at the Oceanside base.
The effort was a collaboration of many campus groups, including students, faculty, and staff, who contributed to the cookie-baking effort. Students in the college’s culinary arts program baked more than 60 plates of cookies, and children in the campus Child Development Center decorated the paper plates that the cookies were delivered on.
In addition to the cookies, gift baskets filled with gift cards, DVDs, CDs, and other goodies donated by students, faculty, and staff at Saddleback were left on the bed racks of 50 marines who are returning from Iraq on Jan. 2.
The Saddleback College Classified Senate started its annual “taste of home” tradition when veterans on campus told the group that homemade cookies are appreciated by service men and women who can’t be with their families during the holidays.
“Thank you to the Classified Senate who inspired so many on campus to donate their time or money to this brilliant cause,” said Saddleback President Tod A. Burnett. “Their selfless efforts to give our marines a ‘taste of home’ are what the holiday season is all about.”
“It is wonderful to bring some holiday cheer to our local marines, who sacrifice so much for our country,” stated Kathy Constance, a coordinator of the “taste of home” cookie drive and an applications specialist. “Thank you to everyone who donated their time and money to this important effort.”