Napa Valley volunteers needed for holiday troop care packages and wreath-laying ceremony honoring veterans on Dec. 13
In the spirit of the season of giving, Napa County residents are being called to action this month as two community efforts seek volunteers, donations, and support to honor and uplift U.S. service members, both those currently deployed and those who served in generations past.
Operation: With LOVE From HOME launches 19th annual Holiday Care Package Drive
OPERATION: With LOVE From HOME (OWLFH) has issued an urgent appeal for donations and volunteers for its 2025 Holiday Care Package Assembly, set for Saturday, Dec. 13, at 9:30 a.m. at the UNIDOS Middle School Gymnasium, 1850 Salvador Ave., Napa. The all-volunteer nonprofit hopes to deliver more than 1,500 holiday care packages to deployed troops around the world.
Donations of goods will be accepted through Dec. 5, and the organization is seeking boot socks, snack-size jerky and nuts, travel-size hygiene items, gum and mints, ramen noodles, lip balm, sunscreen, eye drops, disposable razors and handwritten holiday cards. OWLFH is also hoping to partner with local producers to include Napa-made items in the goodie boxes. Monetary contributions are also urgently needed.
“It’s been tough with our inventory low, while requests from our troops overseas continue to be high,” said Napa County Supervisor Liz Alessio, who has long worked with the OWLFH program. “As an all-volunteer organization, we really depend on the community’s support. Currently, we still need to raise about $65,000 to fulfill care package requests.”
Volunteers are needed for setup on Friday, Dec. 12, from 4 to 8 p.m., and again for the assembly event on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year marks the 19th annual Holiday Care Package assembly.
A full list of needed items, drop-off locations, sponsorship opportunities, and donation links can be found at operationwithlovefromhome.org.
Wreath-laying ceremony at Yountville’s Pioneer Cemetery honors veterans
On the same morning, another longstanding Napa Valley tradition will honor those who served in earlier eras. At 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, volunteers will gather at the George C. Yount Pioneer Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony held in coordination with Wreaths Across America, mirroring events occurring simultaneously at Arlington National Cemetery.
The ceremony is coordinated locally by Mayor Margie Mohler, a Yountville historian who notes that the cemetery holds an estimated 130 veterans, including at least 25 Civil War servicemen, several members of California’s 1847 Bear Flag Revolt and even George Yount himself, a veteran of the War of 1812. Research by local historian Denise Ratterman Jackson helped establish the count of veterans interred in Yountville.
“We honor our veterans because their service and sacrifice safeguard the freedoms we cherish,” Mohler said. “By placing wreaths on their resting places, we affirm that their legacy endures, that their names are spoken,and that their stories are never forgotten.”
Wreaths may be sponsored at wreathsacrossamerica.org/CA0703, and volunteers are welcome to participate in the ceremony.
Organizers note that each wreath carries symbolic meaning: the circle represents eternity, the evergreen branches symbolize resilience and hope, and speaking each veteran’s name aloud transforms remembrance into a personal act of gratitude.
