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Every Christmas the members of the Judith Randolph-Longwood Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution traditionally write Christmas cards to cheer the veterans at McGuire Veterans Hospital, Salem Veterans Hospital, and the Lynchburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic.

Spearheaded by the ladies of the DAR Service for Veterans Committee, the membership responded to a challenge to write 500 cards – a feat not accomplished in recent memory. When the final tally was made, the members had written 1,001 cards – double the challenge.

To support the Farmville-based Piedmont Area Veterans Council, which is dedicated to local veterans, the committee sponsored a book drive for the lending library. In addition, the group decided to devote some of the donated books to the local Friends of the Library for their annual book distribution. These books would support yet another goal of the national organization – education.

As with the Christmas cards, the Regent, Dr. Carolyn Wells, challenged the group to try to receive at least 500 books in donations for these two worthy causes. Once again, the goal was exceeded.

Boxes and boxes of books poured into the central collection site, the office of Second Vice-Regent Margaret Atkins, who graciously delivered, with the assistance of First Vice-Regent Yvonne Costello, the boxes and boxes of books to the headquarters of the Piedmont Area Veterans Council. Jenny Bobko was responsible for the delivery to the Barbara Johns community library for the Friends of the Library.

Thanks to the efforts of Anne Wilkins, chairman of the DAR Service for Veterans Committee, and committee members Jenny Bobko and Donna Ennis, the 500-book challenge was indeed exceeded. When the smoke cleared, and the books in all the boxes were counted, the group had received a total of 1196 books, 472 for the library and 724 for the veterans. Fifteen chapter members participated in the project.