O’Fallon woman again spearheading effort to promote kindness on Giving Tuesday

As the regional ambassador for Giving Tuesday Military, Alicia Steele of O’Fallon is excited this year’s Deck the Halls event plans to be even bigger than the inaugural one last year.

Area volunteers are partnering with Blue Star Families to make the holidays a bit brighter for 300 local military families, especially those who are experiencing food insecurity.

In the U.S., Giving Tuesday will take place Nov. 29. Giving Tuesday Military is challenging military service members, families, and veterans to one million acts of kindness this year.

“Last year, was a huge success and we served 250 military families. This is so exciting! We definitely need volunteers, so please reach out if you’re interested in helping,” Steeele said.

The group has a Facebook page — Giving Tuesday Military – Scott AFB.

Steele said her group will be handing out pantry (non-perishable food, hygiene items) and gift boxes from 4-7 p.m. outside the Scott Air Force Base gate in the Illinois National Guard Armory parking lot. That address is 650 Armory Road Shiloh, IL 62269

“We will have care items and gifts for the kiddos too,” she said. “We will put everything in the car for them. The participation is awesome. USO will be there, feeding people.”

People can sign up by following Blue Star Families Missouri. The website is https://www.bluestarfam.org/chapters/missouri/ and their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/BSFMO. When people register, they can sign up for a time.

Last year, the USO Missouri mobile food truck treated folks to hot dogs and chips, and Steele said there was a hot cocoa stand.

Military families (all branches) must sign up to get a time slot for the pick-up, she said, adding, “We want to spread it out, 50 people every half hour.”

The planning board has been working on the event, but they encourage people who can’t come to a meeting or help that day in person to still participate with acts of kindness Nov. 29.

“Giving Tuesday Military is all about spreading acts of kindness,” she said. “We would like to reach out to schools and bring the kids in to help us spread acts of kindness. Kind notes in lockers and small acts of kindness to show kindness to their peers will be the goal.”

A couple years ago, Steele teamed up with Jesse Manfre, whose husband was in the Coast Guard and she was named Military Spouse of the Year for that branch. The Manfres have since moved from O’Fallon, but while here, Manfre had made her mark.

As volunteers in the national non-profit group Moving with the Military, she and Steele spearheaded an elf team who transformed the home of the Brandon and Robin Bentley family on Scott Air Force Base with a front yard makeover in December 2020.

The Moving with the Military group was featured on “The Today Show” then as part of a “Joy to the World” series about people spreading cheer this holiday season.

In 2019, Manfre and two other military spouses of the year formed the Giving Tuesday Military movement.

“One simple act of kindness can change the world. It’s about something bigger than ourselves,” she wrote on the Facebook group page. “We are challenging our military service members, families, and veterans to engage with their communities and complete 1 million acts of kindness on Giving Tuesday.”

If people would like to donate, contact Tosombra Kimes at Blue Star Families of Missouri: Tkimes@bluestarfam.org.

For more information, please can visit www.givingtuesdaymilitary.comor www.bluestarfam.org.

More about Blue Star Families, Steele

Blue Star Families was founded in 2009 by military spouses who wanted to empower families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors to create strong communities of support, Steele said.

Looking for ways to serve the community has been her passion, and volunteering with others to make an impact has been rewarding. No matter where she lands, Steele is committed to helping military families.

The wife of a U.S. Air Force pilot and mother of two special needs children, Steele is originally from Colorado Springs, Col. Stationed at Scott Air Force Base, this is their fourth deployment and second time living in O’Fallon.

“People have been so kind and helpful. It really is a special place here,” Steele said.

She is particularly concerned about food insecurity, which is defined as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.”

On their website, it states “Blue Star Families is committed to making food insecurity among military families a thing of the past by rallying around them, delivering military and civilian resources to those in need, and empowering them to thrive.”

‘Stand in the gap for those in need’

Since volunteering in the Scott AFB, Steele’s been focused on foster children, vulnerable families, homeless veterans, and special needs children. Supporting other families faced with challenges is important to her.

“I want to stand in the gap for those in need,” she said.

Last year, Steele rallied her neighbors and others to support Blessing Boxes in the Central School District 104, which are filled with non-perishable food items, toiletries, hygiene products and other items, and were placed at Central Elementary School and Joseph Arthur Middle School.

She continues to re-stock items through local generosity. “The need is so great in these challenging times.”

In addition to her community efforts, Steele established a popular sewing blog years ago, “Sew What Alicia.” Steele also is the author of the paperback, “Eco-Chic Bags: Simple Sewing Projects to Make Tote Bags, Purses, Gift Bags, and More.”

Veterans Day Activities

O’Fallon holds two separate events to commemorate Veterans Day. The Annual Veterans Day Celebration, organized by the O’Fallon Veterans’ Monument Association, will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at the First Baptist Church on East Highway 50.

Later that same afternoon, the annual Veterans Day Parade, sponsored by the Sgt. Charles A Fricke Post 805 VFW in O’Fallon, will begin at 2 p.m. at the Community Park at the corner of Hilgard and East Third Street. The parade then will go west to Lincoln, north on Lincoln, then west on First Street, where it will end at the VFW, 221 W. First St.

If interested in participating in the parade, email: vetdayparade805@gmail.com.

This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 4:06 PM.