I love this community

Today’s blog is about community.

My regular readers know that I love to highlight the kind and generous people who make up our incredible community. When something important needs to be accomplished, if a neighbor needs help, the Webster community responds without hesitation. From my position as a community blogger, I see that happen every day in big and small ways.

The most recent example of that spirit can be seen is the response to the first-ever Mail Call: Letters From Home challenge. During the month of April, mailboxes will be placed in businesses and agencies throughout the town, where people can deposit cards, letters and notes for the troops. The hope is to collect 1,000 letters, which will then be included in care packages the Blue Star Mothers will be sending overseas in June.

I’ll be posting more details about this effort shortly, but I needed to write — right now — about what’s been going on so far. Because even before the Mail Call Challenge has officially begun, the Webster community has rallied big time to support it.

For the last month or more, Cherie Wood, the event’s organizer, has been working hard behind the scenes, collecting blank greeting cards, arranging for the mailboxes, and contacting local businesses to ask them to host a mailbox where the cards and letters will be collected.

Step one was collecting the cards. When the call went out, the cards started flowing in. They came in a few at a time, dozens at a time stuffed in manila envelopes, and by the box-load. Individuals dug through their attics and pulled together all of their blank cards. Others donated note pads and blank post cards. Craft clubs dedicated their time to create beautiful cards. Girl Scout Troop 60344 joined forces with the Women’s Club of Webster to make cards. One woman dropped off a box filled with 374 individually crafted, stamped and decorated cards her mother had made, heartened by the thought that they would be going to a good cause.

As for the mailboxes, Webster Lowe’s donated 13 mailboxes, 13 posts, post brackets and buckets filled with cement to stand them in. Jerry, one of their employee veterans, is designing the stand for their store. And Vital Signs, who made all the mailbox wrappers, did so at a very deep discount.

As Cherie started approaching businesses who would agree to host a mailbox, she thought she might have a little difficulty finding 13 locations. BUT NO!!!! Not only has she found those locations, but the response has been enthusiastic. Or, as Cherie wrote, “some of them have been over-the-top excited to do this.”

For example, she reported,

• Lori at Mama Lor’s already has it planned out: the hostess station will encourage customers to write a card while they wait for their tables or meals.
• Doctor Joe Van Cura, owner of Pearl Vision, is newly discharged from a medical unit.  He knows the difference a card or letter can make.
• Joe Campeau, manager of KeyBank on Empire is a new veteran, and knows how important getting these cards and letters from home means during deployment. 
• The American Legion and VFW are beyond excited to host a mailbox. Imagine one of our young soldiers getting a letter from a veteran who has been there. 
• Jersey Mike’s Subs, a frequent supporter of military fundraisers, enthusiastically said “YES!  We want a Mail Call mailbox!”
• The folks at Salvatore’s said, “These service members fight for us. The least we can do is support them with a note of encouragement. We are IN!”
• The Webster Library is planning a Drop In & Make a Card day on Saturday, April 5 from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Bring the family!
• The Webster Recreation Center will have their mailbox available for everyone, and they will have card making parties during their spring camps.
• The Webster Town Hall was very pleased to support our military by hosting a mailbox.

That is so cool.

Stay tuned for more information about the Mail Call: Letters From Home Challenge and a complete list of mailbox locations. Then you can also be a part of this important initiative.

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(posted 3/19/2025)