Upon hearing that a friend in a neighboring district was participating in a holiday letter-writing program geared toward veterans, Islip High School senior Kylie Ohlmiller organized her own program at the high school. With the assistance of a few of their classroom teachers, Kylie and her classmates were able to write more than 100 letters, which were sent to the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook.

“I thought it was important to participate because not a lot of people recognize veterans as much as they should, especially around the holiday season,” explained Kylie when asked why she initiated the program. “Their bravery is admirable and I wanted them to know they were in our thoughts.”

As a thank-you for participating in the program, Congressman Tim Bishop, whose office organized the collection of holiday cards for veterans, sent a note of gratitude. “As a result of the participation of schools like yours, we were able to deliver over 8,000 cards to residents of the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook,” the congressman wrote. “Knowing that there were so many individuals who were thinking of them truly made the holiday season brighter for these veterans.”