Elementary Students Raise Over $1,000 to Help Local Veterans and Their Families Have a Brighter Christmas

The students of E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School (EWM) may be small in size, but their hearts—and their impact—are anything but. On Thursday afternoon, dozens of students in grades K through 5 gathered to present over $1,000 to support local military veterans and their families during the 2025 holiday season.

Skip Rogers talks top the Early Act Club kids at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School.

The donation was made to Able Forces, a nonprofit veterans support group led by Director “Skip” Rogers, who visited the school for a heartwarming presentation. This marks the second year in a row that EWM’s Early Act Club has raised over a thousand dollars through its annual “change war” campaign—a student-driven effort to collect spare change and raise awareness of those in need.

But the effort didn’t stop at donations.

“These are K through 5 kids. Pretty amazing,” Rogers said as he looked out over the cheerful crowd. “They also wrote dozens and dozens of thank-you Christmas cards to military veterans. We’ll be delivering them to the VA hospital later this week.”

The event was part celebration, part lesson, and part heartfelt thank you. Students shared what they had learned about veterans—many for the first time. With stickers, markers, and holiday cards in hand, the youngest students eagerly added messages like “Thank you for serving,” “We love you,” and “Merry Christmas!”—each card a small gesture of gratitude to those who served the country.

Teaching Kindness and Gratitude at an Early Age

Michael Williams, EWM’s Early Act Club coordinator and a longtime educator, has led the effort to build the service club’s role in the community. In the past three weeks, students worked in rotating groups by grade to prepare patriotic-themed holiday cards and fill classroom “change jars” with coins and small bills.

“The students really stepped up,” Williams said. “It’s easy sometimes to focus on the negative, but these kids are choosing to do something positive for others. That’s a powerful message.”

The fundraising effort even sparked friendly competition among classrooms, with one class’s purple jar drawing particular attention for its generous haul of donations. And this year, Ressie Jeffries Elementary School joined in the effort, expanding the project’s reach even further within the Warren County school community.

“We talk to the students about how some kids just like them might wake up on Christmas morning with no presents under their tree,” Rogers explained to the students during the event. “Because of what you’ve done, that’s going to change.”

Every Penny Counts

As first-graders carried in the heavy jugs filled with coins and dollar bills, Skip Rogers acknowledged the emotion behind the effort.

“People think a couple of dollars doesn’t mean much,” he said. “But this? This means everything to the families who will benefit from it.”

Rogers said the donations will go directly to buying presents and essentials for children of military veterans living in and around Warren County. With about 40 families and over 100 children already on the list—and more being added—the need is great. His team will be shopping and delivering gifts right up until Christmas Eve.

For children still learning how to spell, the idea of financial hardship can be hard to express. But Rogers believes they understand it deeply.

“There are kids in these very schools who know what it feels like not to have enough,” he said. “And that’s what makes this so meaningful—they’re helping others from a place of real empathy.”

Community Support

Williams and Rogers also credited local organizations for stepping up during the holidays. Businesses like On Cue and groups such as the Salvation Army are actively working to distribute food and essentials. But as Rogers noted, the involvement of young children in efforts like this stands out.

“It’s not just about money. It’s about kindness. It’s about action,” he said. “This generation is learning that they can make a difference.”

As the students closed out the event with big smiles and a group cheer of “Merry Christmas!”, one thing was clear: these young helpers may not drive or vote, but they absolutely understand the power of giving.

How to Help

Anyone wishing to support Able Forces in their ongoing work with veterans and their families can visit ableforces.org or find the Able Forces Foundation on Facebook. Donations can be made through PayPal, and community members are welcome to reach out to Rogers directly.