Bob Theroux, chaplain for the Rockford Chapter of Vietnam2Now started "Christmas For Vets" in 2001, and it's grown a lot since then.

Christmas for Vets started out with a visit to one nursing home to reach out to veterans who were living there. Bob and his group found out that many veterans living there and in other facilities were often without family and friends, and that many went through the holidays without a single visitor.

Vowing to make sure that area veterans were taken care of around the holidays quickly became Bob's mission and passion.

That visit to one nursing home has led to Christmas For Vets stopping by over 50 different care facilities each holiday season. The handful of vets visited the first year has led to over 1500 veterans receiving a visit (along with presents and cookies) each year.

This, as you might imagine, has become a very big job. So, when you need a big job done right, you call in reinforcements.

That's where you come in.

Christmas For Vets needs cookies, and plenty of them. With thousands of cookies needed to present to the vets they visit, Bob has asked for anyone and everyone to either bake up some fresh ones, or buy some from your favorite stores, and drop them off for distribution during the holiday season.

If you can help with cookies, blankets, or socks, please call Bob at (815) 399-0990. The address for drop off of those items is 1320 Eastgate Parkway, Rockford.

More From Rockford's New Country Q98.5