For many people, the sight of Santa Claus signals the arrival of the Christmas season.
In Wood County this year, however, Santa is trading snowflakes for sunshine as he makes special appearances throughout the summer to support the Wood County Marine Corps League’s Christmas in July campaign benefiting Toys for Tots.
The campaign is one of several ways the organization serves local families, but members say their mission extends far beyond the holiday season. Through programs that support children, veterans, first responders, nursing home residents and military families, the Wood County Marine Corps League has quietly become one of the county’s most active service organizations.
“We’ve always been about taking care of people,” said Commandant Kelly Smith. “Our focus is really cradle to grave. We want to make sure there are no gaps in service.”
That philosophy can be seen in nearly every project the organization undertakes.
The league recently moved into its new headquarters in downtown Mineola, creating a permanent home for the growing organization and the many programs it coordinates throughout the year. The move followed years of searching for a long-term location and has provided members with a place to gather, plan and continue expanding their outreach efforts.
Smith said the new facility also gives the organization an opportunity to become more visible within the community.
“For the longest time, we’ve been in the shadows,” he said. “Now that we’re in Mineola, we want people to see what we’re doing and understand that there are opportunities for everyone to get involved.”
That invitation extends far beyond military veterans.
While the Marine Corps League was founded by Marines, many of its members today are associate members who have never served in the military. The organization welcomes anyone willing to support its mission of caring for veterans, military families and the community.
“If you have a heart to serve veterans and support our military missions, that’s all we ask,” Smith said. “You can be from any branch of service or no branch of service at all.”
Members describe the organization as a family united by service.
“We have members who are veterans and members who aren’t,” said Toys for Tots Coordinator Steve Lucas. “What brings us together is a desire to help people and make a difference in the community.”
That spirit of service fuels a wide variety of programs throughout the year. The league hosts annual fundraisers, including a golf tournament and its popular “30 Guns in 30 Days” raffle, which help support projects ranging from scholarships for local students to assistance for veterans and their families.
Among the organization’s many missions are the James Krodel Nursing Home Mission, Toys for Tots, Wreaths Across America, Eagle Scout recognition ceremonies, Veterans Day activities, the annual Marine Corps Birthday and Veterans Ball celebration, scholarships for graduating high school seniors, and the Carry On Mission, which provides support to widows and widowers of veterans after their loved ones have passed away.
One of the league’s most meaningful projects honors the legacy of James Krodel, an Iwo Jima veteran who, along with his wife, Mary, spent years visiting nursing home residents throughout Wood County.
After Krodel’s death, league members made a commitment to continue the work he began.
“We weren’t going to let that stop,” Smith said. “We wanted to continue honoring his legacy by serving residents in nursing homes throughout the county.”
The organization’s commitment to honoring veterans also extends to Wreaths Across America. Volunteers spent nearly a year identifying more than 700 veterans buried at Roselawn Memorial Gardens and continue raising funds throughout the year to ensure those veterans are remembered each December with wreath placements.
At the other end of the spectrum is Toys for Tots, which focuses on bringing hope and joy to local children during the holiday season.
Lucas said the Wood County Toys for Tots program supported 205 families last year and helped nearly 2,000 children through toy distributions and literacy initiatives. In addition to serving families directly, the program provides support to local libraries, special-needs programs, the Child Advocacy Center, Angel Tree programs and several charitable organizations throughout the county.
One aspect that makes the local effort unique is its commitment to serving children ages 12 to 17, a group often overlooked during holiday toy drives.
“We’re one of the only organizations that focuses on that age group,” Lucas said. “There is always a need for those preteen and teenage years.”
He also emphasized that donations collected in Wood County stay in Wood County.
“What the community provides is what we provide back to the children,” Lucas said.
To build support ahead of the holiday season, the organization launched its Christmas in July campaign, complete with appearances from Santa Claus himself.
Santa’s summer schedule includes visits to community events and toy drives throughout July. His first stop was at Rockin’ S&S Grill, where he was invited to serve as a judge for a karaoke contest. He will also make an appearance during Liberty Fest in Quitman on July 4 and visit S2 Marine’s “Fill the Boat with a Toy” campaign and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 10. Santa will also stop by toy drive efforts in Winnsboro and Mineola and make additional appearances throughout the summer as opportunities arise.
The lighthearted events help raise awareness while encouraging residents to begin thinking about the children who will need assistance during the upcoming holiday season.
For Smith and Lucas, however, the organization’s greatest impact goes beyond any single event or project.
Both men said the league provides veterans with something many miss after leaving military service: purpose, fellowship and a continued opportunity to serve others.
“It gives people purpose again,” Lucas said. “The fellowship, the friendships, the family atmosphere — that’s what keeps people involved.”
Smith agreed.
“We’re tapping people on the shoulder and letting them know we’re still here,” he said. “We’re giving them a place to serve and a place to belong.”
As membership continues to grow, league leaders hope more residents will discover opportunities to become involved.
The Wood County Marine Corps League holds its monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at its Mineola headquarters, and community members are encouraged to attend, ask questions and learn more about the organization’s work. A potluck dinner starts each meeting at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting.
“You don’t have to be a Marine. You don’t even have to be a veteran,” Smith said. “If you have a heart to help people, there’s a place for you here.”
Whether it’s placing a wreath on a veteran’s grave, delivering toys to a child, visiting a nursing home resident or supporting a military family in need, members say every act of service helps fulfill the organization’s mission of caring for others.
And in a world that often seems divided, the Wood County Marine Corps League continues to prove that compassion, community and a willingness to serve can bring people together — one mission at a time.