Citizens First National Bank is excited to team up with Operation Support Our Troops America to gather items for Christmas stockings for our troops serving in harm’s way. Citizens has been supporting this annual effort for a number of years.

Founded in 2003, Operation Support Our Troops – America (formerly Operation Support Our Troops – Illinois) is a grassroots effort that’s blossomed into one of the largest volunteer-based military support organizations in the country. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, it provides comfort and care at home and away to active duty military, families and veterans. More information on this organization can be found at www.osotamerica.org.

Citizens First National Bank will collect donations at all of its locations, including branches in Genoa and Hampshire, until Saturday, Oct. 13. Stocking items needed are: AA or AAA batteries, new DVDs/CDs or iTunes cards, fruit snacks or rollups, new puzzle books such as sudoko, word search and crossword, individually-wrapped Rice Krispie Treats, cookies, jerky or Twizzlers, new decks of playing cards, mints and hard candies, small packages of nuts, blank Christmas cards and signed (unsealed) cards and letters.