(LaPorte, IN) - A La Porte funeral home is continuing a tradition of helping out soldiers during the holidays.

In the past, Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center has stuffed stockings to send to American service members.  Because of COVID restrictions, though, shipments to soldiers are limited this year.  But owner Dale Knouse says they’ve found a way around that. "With the relationship we have with the USO, they've made arrangements to get stockings to the children of our active military," Knouse said.  "And so they're going to do that within northern Indiana and the Chicago area.  So we're blessed that we're able to do that."

Knouse says many funeral homes have chosen not to participate in Stockings for Soldiers this year.  But folks in La Porte have been as generous as ever.  Knouse expects to collect around three hundred stockings this year.  The deadline for collecting them is Tuesday, December 1. You can still stop in at Cutler’s Friday or Saturday to pick up a stocking and stuff it with gifts.