JACKSON — Northampton County Department of Social Services wants American troops overseas to have a little taste of home this holiday season.

Jacqueline Hough | The Daily Herald Northampton County Department of Social Services employees are surrounded by various items collected for packages to be sent to American troops overseas. Pictured, left to right, Nancy Gunnells, Donna Etheridge, Renee Mallard, Leta Coleman, Linda Moody, Sandra Pope, Mona Taylor and Melundy Vandiford. Advertisement

On Thursday, several DSS employees worked hard making snack bags and gathering donated items for Operation Christmas, a program sponsored by the North Carolina State Employees Credit Union.

“Looking around the room,” Linda Moody, an administrative officer for DSS, said, “This is only a fraction of what we’ve had. We’ve already done a truckload.”

She added there was more to come along with monetary donations to purchase items.

Northampton County DSS is working with State Employee Credit Unions in Jackson and Roanoke Rapids to gather items to be shipped overseas for troops.

Today is the deadline to get the items to Roanoke Rapids, where they are working to put together packages.

Northampton County DSS has a friendly wager with the Halifax County DSS on who collects the most pieces. The winning DSS director will be treated to dinner from his DSS counterpart.

Leta Coleman said, “One thing, we could use more of is AT&T phone cards with a minimum of 120 minutes.”

Mona Taylor added, “Not every troop has access to the Internet.”

When asked why the response has been so overwhelming, Taylor said, “People appreciate the sacrifice they are making for us as a nation and a community.”

Coleman said she wanted to remind people “freedom is not free.”

Taylor knows this firsthand. Her son-in-law is in Iraq now. “This is his second tour,” she said. “And he won’t be home for Christmas and he has two small children.”

Coleman added, “So we are going to send a little piece of home to him.”