Spotlight!
Baking a difference: Team Kadena 2024 Cookie Drive
By
18th Wing Public Affairs December 19, 2024
Senior Airman Melany Bermudez
18th Wing Public Affairs December 19, 2024
A Kadena dorm resident receives a bag of cookies from U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Sean Paulino, 18th Medical Group first sergeant, center, and Tech Sgt. Adrian Thompson, 718th Civil Engineer Squadron airman dorm leader, during the annual cookie drive at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 12, 2024. The First Sergeants Council and Airmen Dorm Leaders worked together to hand deliver more than 1,700 bags of cookies to Kadena’s dorm residents. (Senior Airman Melany Bermudez, U.S. Air Force)
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan. -- The First Sergeants Council and volunteer spouses with the 18th Wing collected, sorted, packed and distributed 1,778 bags of cookies to Kadena dorm residents Dec. 12-13, 2024.
Kadena’s annual cookie drive provides cookies to Airmen, Guardians, Soldiers, Marines and Sailors in the dorms in hopes of brightening their holiday season. For many young service members, this may be their first holiday season overseas and away from home.
“I remember what it’s like living in the dorms,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Amanda Armenti, 18th Civil Engineer Group first sergeant. “It can be hard to make it your home, especially during the holidays.”
This event relied on the generosity of base residents and volunteers, making it a community effort to give holiday cheer to its members. Through careful coordination and advertising, 18th Wing rallied the collection and packing of the cookies inside the USO. Volunteers then packed over 120,000 cookies into hand stamped bags and counted them for delivery.
“The benefit of this event is that it gives families and members on our base the opportunity to come together as a community to take care of our Airman,” said Aisha Wolfgang.
Master Sgt. Armenti then collected the designated boxes and coordinated with the dorm sponsors for retrieval. First Sergeants along with their Airmen dorm leaders then hand delivered over 1,700 holiday cookie bags to their members’ front doors.
“Small acts of kindness during the holiday goes a long way” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Paulino, 18th Medical Group first sergeant.
Kadena dorms consist of more than just Airmen, but numerous service members from our sister services as well. Stephanie Lundeby said this year’s cookie drive was able to account for the 180 soldiers residing in the Army dorms and made enough of an impact that the Army Commander came to thank them personally.
“It was definitely a family affair, not only were kids helping bake, but kids even came to volunteer,” said Brandi Evans. “This lets members know that they’re supported by not just our active duty community, but families and kids that thought of them and decorated cookies for them.”