El Paso Co. students write holiday letters to deployed service members

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO)- What started off as a class project has turned into something more meaningful to military families throughout the world. 

Inside classroom 2063 at Monument Academy East Campus, eighth grade students wrote holiday letters to service members. 

It all started with a simple social media post.

"I am an 8th grade history teacher nearby and am having my students write 'Thank you/Christmas letters to those who are deployed," in read in part.

"We have letters going to Jordan. We have letters going to Germany. We have letters going to South Korea. We have letters going to ships in the middle of the ocean. We have letters going to undisclosed locations in the Middle East," said Mrs. Heinbuch, a teacher at Monument Academy East Campus.

Students will now be writing over 500 letters, and it's all thanks to community support. 

"I feel very, very blessed by the opportunity that so many people reached out to me and so many people felt that this was something they wanted their family members to be a part of," said Mrs. Heinbuch.

This project has a sentimental meaning to student Vlada Golin.

"I got actually really excited because I could relate to them. And I could can tell them that everything is going to be okay, and it does get better," said Golin. "The other person I got was sergeant first class, which was just like my father, who was a sergeant first class as well. So I got really excited for that."

Golin says she's planning on writing things that will lift their spirits during the holidays. 

"I'm planning to write, like, just Merry Christmas. Thank you for your service. And then just tell them a little bit about myself and how I relate to them, and how they're doing such a great job serving," said Golin.

Due to the success this project has already had, they're planning on continuing it next year.