A group of dedicated volunteers in Solvang is working to make sure U.S. service members stationed in some of the most remote parts of the world know they’re not forgotten this holiday season.

Once a month, volunteers gather inside the American Legion Hall to assemble care packages filled with donated supplies. The items are sent to small, remote military units that often don’t have access to basic comforts found on larger bases.

For volunteer Mientje D’Arelli, the effort is deeply personal.

“The reason I got involved is because I have family that was in the military and also friends and just know how much they give of themselves around the world and to find out that there’s a lot of troops in remote areas, small groups of troops in remote areas that don’t have the same support as a larg

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