SWEET SURPRISE

Published 1:51 am Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Westview ships cookies to Guard unit

Members of Mitch Scofield’s National Guard unit received a sweet surprise when a package from the Westview Baptist Church arrived overseas recently.

Scofield, who is attached to a unit that’s been deployed since last spring, said that he knew the package was en route, but kept it a surprise from the others within his unit.

“I was aware they were sending it but my guys weren’t,” Scofield said.

His mom, Julie Scofield, who is an active member of Westview Baptist Church, organized most of this.

“Julie was getting a package ready for Mitch but then she started thinking about the rest of the guys in his unit,” Glenda Donaldson said, another who helped to organize the surprise package.

“She was saying how we should all get together tins and bake cookies,” she said.

“We really wanted to help with their morale and give them something to smile about.”

That’s when everybody within the church made cookies, bought tins and made Christmas cards.

“We just wanted them to know that everybody is thinking about them,” Donaldson said.

Scofield said that it’s hard being away from family this time of the year, for everyone, but receiving the package helped.

“It really helps during this time of year, since we can’t be at home with our families,” he said.

“It’s like having a little piece of home.”

Scofield has been in the Alabama Army National Guard for 12 years and is a staff sergeant as a weapon specialist.

Scofield is also a law enforcement officer with the Opp Police Department.