Operation St. Nick accepting applications for military families

MORRIS – When he was a child, Joe Schmitz said, he would hop in his father’s pickup truck to give out food baskets to families on Christmas.

His father would dress as Santa Claus and explain to the children that there wasn’t enough room on his sleigh for food and toys, so he was just a one of his helpers, he said.

“My fondest memories all include going with my dad. I only did it for two or three years, but I will never forget it,” Schmitz said.

Despite participating for a short time, Schmitz said he knew he wanted to carry on the legacy and help people in any capacity he was able. He created Operation St. Nick, a foundation that has served Grundy County for more than 40 years.

Operation St. Nick stands for: Serving Grundy County, Touching Lives, Noticing area needs, Instilling hope, Caring for children and Kindness.

One of the many programs of Operation St. Nick is Christmas in July, a program geared toward military families. This year, the program will grant wishes up to $5,000 for 12 active or veteran military personnel. In the past, each family has received up to $3,000.

“This year we had enough money to kick it up to $5,000, so we budgeted $60,000. This is the highest we have ever been able to give towards military wishes,” said Schmitz.

“It is mainly due to the Jerry and Lorrain Davidson. We have named our military program the Davidson Military Program in honor of them and their family who have given so generously over the years,” he said.

Christmas in July began in 2011 as the 12 days of Christmas that ran through December. In 2017, the name was changed to coincide with the new timeframe.

“We realized doing everything at Christmas was too much to do and still do quality job for the military, so we moved it to Memorial Day through the 4th of July,” Schmitz said.

To be considered, applicants must be current residents of Grundy County, currently serving in the military or an honorably discharged veteran, provide a copy of a DD-214 and submit their application by July 4. A spouse or significant other may fill out the application for them.

Applications can be picked up at any of the three Grundy County Bank drive-thru locations. Two of the locations are in Morris, at Main and Franklin, and at 444 Bedford Road. One is in Wilmington, at 120 South Main St. They will appear in the Morris Herald-News weekly through the month of June or is available online. After the applications are filled out, they can be mailed to Operation St. Nick, PO Box 781, Morris, IL 60450.