Photo by Dave Rolls Fort Detrick Volunteer Coordinator Towanda Stockton (far right) organizes clothing donated by the Directorate of Information Services to support the Wounded Soldier Project.

Towanda Stockton, Army Volunteer Corps coordinator and Army Family Team Building program manager, said ‘‘I believe that (the post) exists to help others. It’s something that this military community does on a daily basis—whether through research in the laboratories or taking care of military families.”

This year the focus of Fort Detrick’s ‘‘Make a Difference Day” was to support the Wounded Soldiers Project that provides items of clothing for wounded soldiers being treated at the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq.

In many cases Soldiers’ uniforms are destroyed or have to be cut off their bodies, leaving only the backless hospital gowns to wear while recuperating.

‘‘The goal of my office was to assist the project coordinators by bringing awareness to the collection efforts,” said Stockton.

On Oct. 26, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Army Volunteer Corps office served as the post’s collection site for accepting sweatpants, sweatshirts, T-shirts and socks for wounded Soldiers.

A total of 850 pieces of clothing were donated by individual citizens, commercial companies and organizations on post.

Gene Stitely, a visual information specialist, got the Directorate of Information Management ball rolling by sending out an e-mail to all DOIM personnel a week or so before the collection day.

He said he recently read news stories about Soldiers not having very comfortable clothing for their recuperation time at Army facilities.

‘‘I know my own experience spending many days in the hospital after a heart attack two years ago that I felt 100 percent better as soon as my sister brought me some underwear. So, I said I’d be the first to donate. We ultimately raised $400 at DOIM.”

Marilyn Disbennett, a sign maker on post, was one of those who received Stitely’s e-mail. She enlisted the help of her sister in Atlanta whose son had returned from Iraq last month. Disbennett raised $200 at Fort Detrick, and her sister sent another $200 from Atlanta.

Stitely and Disbennett each had $400 to buy clothes.

Their contributions were not unlike the many others Stockton received from employees on post and even from as far as California.

She said many times community members want to help Soldiers, but don’t always know how or what they need.

‘‘People are always looking for an opportunity to do something for the Soldiers who are doing so much for them,” said Stockton.

For more information on ways to volunteer or contribute to Soldiers and Fort Detrick, contact Army Community Services at 301-619-2197.