Eric Hailston returned home to Ilion this past March after serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan with the Army Reserves, and shared with his mother, Laura, the harsh realities of the war’s impact on civilians.
He described a local population, including many children, enmeshed in a daily struggle to survive, according to Laura, with many basic necessities scarce and cold weather clothing at the top of the list.
Eric along with Laura and her partner Ron Schoonmaker decided to start collecting blankets, sending several boxes to Afghanistan.
And even after Eric decided to return to the war-torn country, this time as a civilian contractor for the Army Corps of Engineers, they worked out a plan to continue shipping over supplies to distribute to civilians.
After an article on the drive appeared in The Telegram, however, the project started to become to big for just the three to handle.

Having sent hundreds of items in over 30 boxes, and with the outpouring of donations from the community continuing, Laura and Ron eventually realized they simply wouldn’t be able to afford shipping costs.
The two were on the brink of announcing the project’s end date when they were contacted last week by Ray Lenarcic, director of the Herkimer County Hunger Coalition.
Looking to follow up on a Christmas card project, which sent handmade cards from area elementary school students to military doctors and nurses, the HCHC organized “Operation Candy Cane” to help extend and expand the Hailstons’ project.
 

See the whole story in Saturday's edition of The Evening Telegram.