It became a brighter Christmas as the Liberty County Board of Education and Fort Stewart soldiers teamed up to provide toys and gifts for students in the Liberty County School System.

LCSS Social Worker Pamela Farrie, said they identified 71 families with roughly 152 students that have been living in a homeless situation this year.

She said these families were the recipients of the gifts this year.

It’s a great thing,’ she said. “Every year the parents are grateful and they appreciate the help and the support. We look forward to doing it. We look forward to working with the great staff members at Fort Stewart, the soldiers and all of our community partners. It’s a great event.”

She said some families are living in hotels and some were left homeless due to fires and natural disasters. She said some families are living unsheltered in campgrounds and others at domestic violence shelters. “It is a silent epidemic and I would say the children are the victims,” Farrie said. “Often times when you think about homelessness you think older adults but a lot of those adults have children. And so, events like this support the children.”

Rear Detachment Commander for the Third Sustainment Brigade, Third Infantry Division, Lt. Col. Charles Jaquillard said the gifts were donated by the soldiers of the Third Sustainment Brigade as well as some other units across Fort Stewart.

“And we are giving them to families who are in need of those gifts for the holiday season,” he said. “We supported 71 families…It is a great opportunity for our soldiers to give back to the community that gives so much back to us. I think it is a great time of the year. All of our soldiers are filled with the holiday spirit. The season of giving is upon us and it demonstrates the sacrifices that our soldiers make, and demonstrates the hearts of our soldiers to give to those in need.”

He said it was a collaborative effort with many volunteers that worked for a month in getting all the items needed to fill every wish.

“We have soldiers around the world right now so we do this on behalf of them as well,” Jaquillard said.

Jophinia Green is the mother of four boys, two who are in the LCSS. She said she was thankful.

“This is big for me,” Green said adding this event means she will be able to present gifts to her boys. “Somebody is thinking about us,” she said.