Sometimes it’s the smallest things that bring the greatest comfort. For families who have lost everything in floods, fires, or other disasters, one of the most common laments is the loss of their Christmas ornaments — the handmade treasures that hold years of family memories.
That’s where Operation Ornaments comes in. The nonprofit began about six years ago when a small group of women set out to do something simple but meaningful: replace a bit of what was lost. They started making homemade ornaments and distributing them to families recovering from disasters. What began as a few friends sharing by word of mouth has grown into a national network of volunteers.
Fallon’s Lana Scharmann has been part of Operation Ornaments for the past three years. “It’s all volunteer,” she said. “Crafters make ornaments at their own expense. Everything is donated. Sometimes there’s a little help for travel, but mostly it’s just people who care, doing what they can.”
The ornaments are packaged into “family packs” and shipped to communities where disaster has struck. “It’s a way to give a little hope and beauty back during a really hard time,” Scharmann said.
Last year, she helped bring the project into the classroom at Numa Elementary. With the support of fifth grade teacher Leslie Brown, students learned about disaster recovery and the power of service, then created ornaments to send to families in need.
“Leslie taught about disasters and service,” Scharmann said. “Other teachers heard about it, and soon ten classes joined in. They made 263 ornaments! That’s so exciting — thank you, Numa teachers and Leslie!”
This year, the Fallon volunteers have again been busy creating, packaging, and preparing ornaments for distribution — each one a small, hand-decorated symbol of care and connection.
Operation Ornaments continues to invite new participants nationwide. As the group’s website explains, “Each year, many people across the country experience loss due to wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding, and other natural disasters. These people often lose everything, including their treasured Christmas ornaments. We love to bring Christmas cheer to some of these families by making and donating ornaments. Whether you’re able to make one or one hundred, we’d love to have you join us.”
Those who aren’t crafty can still help through monetary donations to cover shipping and distribution costs.
“It’s such a simple act,” Scharmann said, “but it means so much. Every ornament carries love from one family to another.”
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