Operation St. Nick’s Military Program crosses $500K in aid as it kicks off 2025 program

Operation St. Nick is beginning its 2025 Military Program on Monday, stretching across June to the Fourth of July. This year’s program marks $500,000 in aid given to veterans and serving military members.

Founder Joe Schmitz said the program spent $44,514 on 15 families last year, with the intention of spending around $3,000 on each family depending on need.

For some families, Operation St. Nick will spend a bit more and for even greater need, like helping a U.S. Army veteran mother of three get caught up on her $4,000 mortgage or helping a Braceville veteran get the windows replaced in his home.

“We spent anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 depending on the need,” Schmitz said. “We’ve gone over the $3,000 if there’s a need, and I can point to times we have.”

Schmitz is working this year with Kathy Lambros, and together they’ll split the applications that come in while communicating with each other about any questions they have.

Schmitz told the Morris Herald-News in December that the community is what makes Operation St. Nick possible each year.

“To have the community come behind us like this year and support, knowing, taking care of the needy families at Christmas and the veterans and back-to-school, and the other times during the year, it just sets us up,” Schmitz said. “We know we can budget and do the same things we’ve been doing, even more.”

Schmitz said having the community’s support that day with call-ins, donations and item purchases is overwhelming to think about. Morris is a small town calling into its local radio station just to help its neighbors, he said.

Operation St. Nicks has assisted 184 families of local veterans over the past 15 years. A military ID is required to be eligible, or those who have been honorably discharged can use a DD214.

Schmitz said Operation St. Nick started in Streator with the idea coming to him 40 years ago based on work his father did with the Tavern Keepers League. Schmitz and his wife did food baskets in 1979, the first year in Morris, until someone gave him $500 to make an impact on a family.

Operation St. Nick raises funds through an auction that takes place live on the 103.1 WCSJ-FM radio station. Last year, the organization raised $236,000 from the auction, which included $50,000 and $20,000 donations from anonymous donors.

To be eligible for Operation St. Nick, participants must be a resident of Grundy County currently in the military or having been honorably discharged. To apply online, visit theheraldnews.secondstreetapp.com/Operation-St-Nick-2025.

The application form also is available at any of Grundy Bank’s three drive-up facilities, two in Morris and one is in Wilmington. These forms can be mailed to Operation St. Nick, P.O. Box 781, Morris, IL, 60450. Applications are accepted until 5 p.m. July 4.