The envelope held the true meaning of the GI Santa Project.

The three wrinkled $1 bills demonstrated that an individual had sacrificed for the state's military veterans.

GI Santa's goal is to provide a brighter holiday season for the residents of the West Virginia Veterans Home in Barboursville.

The $3 was left by an unknown patron of the South Charleston Public Library and is the symbol of the many individuals who donated gift items to honor the former servicemen and servicewomen.

For the past 12 years, GI Santa has collected and delivered presents for the 100 veterans who make the hilltop campus their home.

Despite economic hardships, Kanawha Valley area residents provided more than 4,500 items for the otherwise "forgotten heroes" at the Cabell County facility.

"We were apprehensive the economy would affect the donations, but in true West Virginia mountaineer spirit, our area residents came through for our veterans," said Ron Hutchison, founder and coordinator of the GI Santa Project.

Donated gifts this year ranged from a hand-crocheted bed cover to candy to jigsaw puzzles to a copy of the Bible.

Most of the donations were much-needed personal care items. They included 620 razors, 650 pairs of socks, 300 bars of soap, 98 toboggans and caps and 250 candy and snack items.

These items were divided into gift bags and were distributed at the Dec. 22 party for the veterans.

"Elves" who donated items included Greta Hicks and her co-workers at the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center, Francis Lanier and parishioners at Community Chapel Church, the South Charleston Woman's Club, Jean Collins, Arlene and Robert Young, Wanda Viers, Mary Samples and the Mountain Heights Church.

Other elves included Pat Taylor, Martha Hill, Karen and Terry Huffman, Shirley Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Stern, Mabel Robinson, Nina Bird, Dr. Wilson Mann, Bethel Baptist Church, South Charleston Public Library ...

South Charleston Community Center staff and patrons, David Thomas, Linda Powers, Denise Ferris, Jane Walton, Margie Spence, Ellen Ward, Shonette Koontz and the Sweet Adelines Chorus, Beth Shamblin, Zeta Young...

The Rock Branch Community Bank, Barbara Pauley, JoAnn Cunningham, Ben Blackwell and fellow members of the Elk Lions Club, Cathy Trent, Drema Walker, Scott Cable of S&E Printing, Terry and Bruce McGowan, Sam and Joannette Marion, Rita Wiseman and the research staff at Workforce West Virginia.

The GI Santa Project was the recipient of the 2009 Community Service Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Submitted by Ron Hutchison