Feel Good Story: Wildwood’s Holiday Cards Bring Encouragement to Deployed Service Members

Feel Good Story: Wildwood’s Holiday Cards Bring Encouragement to Deployed Service Members

This holiday season, Wildwood Elementary embraced a powerful opportunity to spread joy far beyond its campus. What began as a simple idea—a Christmas card drive for deployed service members—quickly grew into a heartfelt campus-wide effort led by 2nd grade teacher and military veteran Mr. Carroll.

Outside his classroom, a mailbox became the symbol of the initiative, inviting students from every grade level to drop off handmade Christmas cards filled with gratitude, encouragement, and holiday cheer. But according to Mr. Carroll, the idea wasn’t his alone.

“I can’t take all the credit here,” he said. “My homeroom parents had a huge part in this project. They made the mailbox and put the idea in my head. I pushed the idea beyond my grade level and extended the invitation school-wide.”

For the past four years, Mr. Carroll has led his students in writing letters of appreciation for Veteran’s Day. This year marked the first time expanding the tradition into the holiday season.

“I’ve been doing the Veteran’s Day letters for four years now, and this is the first year doing the Christmas cards,” he shared.

As both a teacher and former soldier, the project holds deep personal significance.

“As a former soldier, it means a great deal to me,” he said. “Getting a message from home can lift a service member’s spirits tremendously. Seeing not just my students but other students create these powerful yet simple acts of kindness fills me with pride.”

When introduced to the idea, students immediately embraced the opportunity.

“Their excitement was immediate—they wanted to help,” he recalled. “They tried to make their cards meaningful, and they asked thoughtful questions about how to encourage the troops. You could tell they understood the project’s importance and genuinely wanted their words to matter.”

For Assistant Principal Trisha Hacker, the initiative is a shining example of Wildwood’s core values in action.

“This project reflects the heart of Wildwood’s culture—service, gratitude, and community,” Hacker said. “We intentionally teach students to Practice Respect, Accountability, With Purpose, and Self-Control (PAWS), and this initiative brought those expectations to life in a meaningful way.”

She added that opportunities like this allow young students to build empathy in an authentic, age-appropriate way.

“Acts of service help them understand the impact their words and actions can have on others,” Hacker said. “It teaches them that kindness matters and that even small gestures can make a meaningful difference.”

The campus community embraced the project wholeheartedly. Students steadily filled the mailbox, teachers delivered stacks of cards, and hallways buzzed with excitement over doing something kind for someone far away.

“It’s been amazing!” said Mr. Carroll. “Seeing other teachers bring stacks of cards is equally awesome! I want the mailbox overflowing with cards. It’s the first year, though, right? Next year it will be bigger—you can count on it!”

Cards will be mailed by December 15 through A Million Thanks, a national nonprofit that delivers messages to service members and veterans across the globe.

As they prepare for mailing, Mr. Carroll hopes each card becomes a source of comfort and connection.

“I want them to know they are loved, remembered, and honored for everything they are,” he said. “Even the smallest heart out there is thinking of them.”

Assistant Principal Hacker echoed that the lessons students learn through projects like this go far beyond the holiday season.

“We hope students learn that service is simple, meaningful, and within their reach,” she said. “A handwritten card can brighten someone’s day. We want them to carry forward gratitude, empathy, and a sense of responsibility for their community.”

Ultimately, what began as a simple idea—and one handmade mailbox—has grown into a new Wildwood tradition rooted in kindness, connection, and character.

“Shared traditions bring students and staff together,” Hacker said. “When we unite around acts of kindness, it strengthens relationships and reinforces the culture we want for Wildwood.”

This holiday season, Wildwood Elementary isn’t just sending cards—they are sending hope, gratitude, and the reminder that even the smallest acts of kindness can reach across the world.