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| LIFE IN SOLERA | FEBRUARY 2023 | 39 I know that Christmas is a long time over, but I still have some stats to mention. I would like to thank all those who wrote Christmas cards. We sent out 1,106 cards, in packets, to 26 groups. The cards were written by people in Solera and our surrounding communities, as well as a group in Northern Idaho. These cards went to every branch of our services. The Navy and Marines were aboard ships. Six Coast Guard Cutter crews received our cards. When they are not birthed in Bahrain, they are patrolling the Persian Gulf. Cards went to the Army and Air Force in two different countries in Africa. Another small mixed group of Army, Air Force and Marine Officers stationed in a third African country received our cards also. Card recipients included other service member groups in Kuwait, Iraq, South Korea, Kosovo, Jordan, and Poland. We also sent out boxes of Christmas decorations, and though we sent out everything we had on hand, we could still use more for next year. I am able to store them. The types of decorations that would be great would be mini-lights, non-breakable items, garland with and without lights, anything that can be hung on the walls, set on a table, or placed on the floor. Mini-Christmas trees would also be great, but keep in mind they should be no more than 24" tall unless they come in sections. Used items should be clean and in good condition. Earlier in this article I mentioned a group of mixed officers that were in a third African country. These officers are advisers to the U.N. Peace Keepers in the country of Mali. Snail Mail to any of the African countries can be very sporadic. Once in a while it may only take a week and a half, and other times a whole month. I received a nice message and photo from the female Lieutenant Colonel who is in charge of the group. They rent a house near the embassy and had no decorations. Our package arrived a few days before Christmas. They decorated their dining room for their Christmas dinner. If you look closely in the photo below, you can see two miniature trees on the table, all decorated, three decorations hanging from the glass door cabinets, and multiple lights over the dining room window. You made this all happen. Thank you for caring. Support Our Troops is facilitated by Jesse Donardt, a resident of Solera and someone who cares for our troops overseas. Jesse collects things that our troops need and enhances the morale and well-being of these troops worldwide by shipping care boxes containing items specifically requested by them. Please support Jesse and the Support Our Troops program. Jesse can be reached at (951) 845-9028. To all Veterans, thank you for your service! SUPPORT OUR TROOPS VETERAN ASSISTANCE Billy (Mitch) Mitchell is a resident and Veteran who has voluntarily worked with individuals and the Veterans Administration to assist Veterans in obtaining benefits. If you are a Veteran and want to know which benefits you may be eligible for, contact Mitch at (951) 797-0800. The Flags will be raised on Friday Feb. 17 for Presidents Day. Thank you to those few dedicated resident volunteers who are up "at the crack of dawn" on these special days to put up and take down our flags. The Flag Brigade is currently looking for a few volunteers who would be interested in helping to raise and lower the flags. For more information, contact Nick Gercis at nick.gercis@gmail.com. FLAG BRIGADE