The community is invited to help brighten the holidays for sailors aboard the USS Fitzgerald, a destroyer deployed in the Middle East.

The Evangelical Free Church of Mt. Morris plans to send care packages that include handwritten notes to all 350 sailors aboard the ship in time for Christmas.

“The church is excited to adopt this project and knows it requires ‘All Hands On Deck’ in order to happen,” said Joyce Long, chairman of the Outreach Team, which is spearheading the project. “We are enlisting the community’s help with both writing letters to the sailors as well as collecting items or donations for the care packages.”

The USS Fitzgerald deployed on June 2 and is expected to return home to San Diego in February.

Lt. Logan Murphy, the ship’s command chaplain, resided in Mt. Morris for five years before joining the U.S. Navy in 2023. During that time, he served as associate pastor of the EFCMM.

Murphy contacted EFCMM about sending care packages to all the men and women aboard the ship.

Anyone, young or old, can write a note to a sailor. In addition to the church’s Sunday School classes, many local groups and civic organizations are on board with this project, including the Soaring Eagles 4-H Club, the Mt. Morris Chapter of the American Legion, and classrooms in the Oregon Elementary School.

Some ideas of what to include in the note are:

Address to “Dear Sailor”

Your first name, grade/work/organization, etc.

General family details, armed services history, etc.

“Thank you” for your service

A picture or drawing

Favorite activity, hobby, sports team, etc.

Meaningful quote, thought, Bible verse

All hand-written notes need to be turned in to the Evangelical Free Church of Mt. Morris no later than Sunday, Oct. 12. The church’s address is 102 S. Seminary Ave. in Mt. Morris.

For more information, contact the church office at 815-734-4942.