Kids in distress need your help

The Grand Strand Detachment of the Marine Corps League is fulfilling a request from the co-Director of Help4Kids to once again collect donations of various sized children’s sleeping bags for children from homeless families.

Some children live in campgrounds or in family cars or vans. In some cases, there may be more children than beds in what is already classified as inadequate housing. You can imagine that recently Mother Nature, in the guise of Hurricane Matthew, has treated the aforementioned children cruelly. Most of their possessions have been ruined due to water damage.

A vital part of their ruined possessions are the sleeping bags that the children obtained last year from concerned residents of the Grand Strand through generous donations. So many sleeping bags and other items, such as heavy-duty blankets, were donated to Help4Kids last year that I thought this year wouldn’t need a sleeping bag drive.

Mother Nature, in her cruel administration of weather conditions, delivered a cruel blow instead.

Marines, in their early active duty careers, were trained to fight in battles in various lands around the world. Now, in their retirement years, the Marines are fighting a battle in their home community. The same procedure to collect sleeping bags will be used this year.

You may call my home at (843) 235-1328 to discuss a convenient time and location for a Marine to pick up the donated item.

Checks may be sent to Help4Kids, 2523 Forest Brook Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588.

Please mark “sleeping bags” in the memo line.

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Kids in distress need your help."