Special deliveries: Blue Star Mothers to ship care packages to deployed military service members

FLUVANNA – Blue Star Mothers along with Dunkirk and Pine Valley Central School District students teamed up at Fluvanna Community Church in preparation for shipping 1,000 care packages to service members deployed worldwide.

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"We're sending a record-breaking, 1,000 packages to our deployed military service members," said Kathy Collver, the vice president Blue Star N.Y. 4., a local chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America. "This is what Christmas is all about, giving to each other, joining together to spread a little love, a little cheer."

According to bluestarmothers.org, the organization formed during World War II, and is a private, national, non-for-profit organization which provides support for mothers of deployed military members. Additionally, this organization holds a Congressional Charter under Title 36 of the United States Code. However, since Dec. 13, 2011, Congress has expanded membership opportunities for more than just mothers of deployed service members. Now, the Blue Star Mothers Congressional Charter includes grandmothers, adoptive mothers, foster mothers, and female legal guardians.

The law also expands membership to mothers whose children have served more recently by removing references to specific conflicts. It also expands membership to eligible mothers living outside of the U.S.

Area high school and middle school students volunteered their time, energy and efforts with this endeavor - acknowledging the gravitas of serving those who serve our nation.

"This is a small way we can give back to the members of our military," said Murel Zollinger, a senior and the senior class president at PVCS. "It's an honor to serve those who serve us."

"A few of the students who are here with us today have parents and family members who are serving," said Taylor Kassman, an eighth-grade teacher and student council adviser with Dunkirk Secondary School. "We also have several of our teachers and admin at Dunkirk Secondary School who are tied to the military as well so this is really important to the kid, but also to our school district."

However, the real hope in this drive is that the military service member on the other side of this package realizes that they have a nation who not only loves them, but supports them as well.

"We really hope that when the soldier or sailor open's their package that they don't just see a box full of goodies," explained Collver. "It's an expression of our love and gratitude for them."