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NewsChannel 3 honors woman hosting Ft. Eustis soldiers for Thanksgiving

Posted at 7:21 PM, Nov 26, 2013
and last updated 2013-11-26 19:21:23-05

Andrea Stalnik likes to rescue things – lizards, birds, and even people. Everyone is family.

“Everybody needs a home and everybody needs love,” she says.

When the USO asked her to host eight Fort Eustis soldiers this Thanksgiving – double what she signed up for – she didn’t hesitate to say yes, even if that meant another trip to the supermarket.

“I only have ten pounds of potatoes so I need another ten pound bag,” she told us.

Little did Andrea know, we did a little shopping for her.

Ham, potatoes, pumpkin pie, and anything else it takes to feed an Army – literally.

NewsChannel 3 picked up the $299 tab and presented Andrea with a $100 gift card from our community partner, Southern Bank, and an exclusive People Taking Action pin.

“Wow, that’s awesome! I was not expecting anything like that,” Andrea said.

It’s an unexpected gift for a woman who provides a feast for a group of soldiers who will walk into her home as strangers and leave as family.

“I don’t see it as giving back.  I just like to help people. I volunteer when I can. It means a lot to me for ya’ll to help out like this. It’s just awesome,” she says.

Andrea is participating in the USO’s Adopt-A-Serviceperson program. If you would like more info on it you can contact:
Danis Lensch
USO
Family Outreach

They have enough families for Thanksgiving this year, but will be taking names for a waiting list.

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