She doesn't care whether it's bite-sized bars or full, she says she can't imagine not being able to have a bite during those rare moments when cravings hit and nothing else will satiate.
Neither could the other members of Susquehanna Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2493 Ladies Auxiliary in Mount Wolf. That's why they signed on immediately to help U.S. Air Force Sgt. Kimberlee L. Keller build chocolate stores in Bagram, Afghanistan.
Keller e-mailed veterans' groups from Afghanistan telling them she'd had a craving for chocolate, but none could be found at her base. She figured she wasn't the only one of 21,000 troops in Bagram who missed chocolate.
Her request: Send assorted Christmas chocolate to spread a little cheer.
Hold the chocolate: The thing is, people empathized so much with Keller's request to supply sweets to fellow troops, she has now asked supporters to hold the chocolate, said David Sandman, spokesman for the state Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars.
By the time the stop order came through, members of the Mount Wolf auxiliary already had raised funds, bought chocolate and scheduled packing. So, they're sending the sweets anyway, leaving distribution of Wolfgang Candy bars to the troops.
Auxiliary president Sandy Brenner said they received a copy of Keller's request in the fall and were so touched by it, they re-focused fundraising efforts to meet Keller's Dec. 10 shipping deadline that would accommodate the Christmas delivery.
The 274-member auxiliary raised $200 to purchase chocolate. Wolfgang Candy in North York matched the dollar amount and last week supplied about 800 pounds of chocolate bars for the effort.
Meanwhile, Sandman said Keller reported "a tremendous response from the VFW and that donations could stop."
"It's just another example of how veterans groups show support," Sandman said. "It's not often you get someone who says to stop sending something to the troops."
The women at the auxiliary said they have plenty of men and women to assist. They send several packages a month to local troops deployed in war zones.
Certainly, Brenner said, the chocolate won't go to waste.
"It has a familiar smell," she said. "It always makes me think of home."
-- Reach Kathy Stevens at 505-5437 or kstevens@
yorkdispatch.com.
Supporting the troops
The Pennsylvania Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars invites the public to get involved in support efforts via local VFW posts. Susquehanna Post No. 2493 in Mount Wolf sells T-shirts reading "Support The Troops" to raise funds for monthly supplies and shipments to deployed troops. Those interested in participating may contact Corrie Camalleri, chairwoman of family and troop support efforts, at [email protected]. Donations may be mailed to VFW Post No. 2493, P.O. Box 154, Mount Wolf, PA 17347.