Blue Stars fill sweet tooths

Though they may enjoy the military's version of turkey and cranberry today, some U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan and elsewhere may truly give thanks in about a week.

That thanks will be for Doritos, Rice Krispie Treats, hygiene products and other everyday items the Tri County Blue Star Moms chapter collected and gave to Beale Air Force Base soldiers on Wednesday.

Lori Danby, president of the chapter covering Yuba, Sutter and Colusa counties, said soldiers in Afghanistan have encountered difficulties in getting household snacks, toiletries and related items because supply lines are limited and security for civilian contractors is tight.

"There are no Walmarts, no shopping centers," Danby said. "In a lot of cases, we're putting soldiers into places where we haven't been before," referring to an increase in troops into the country.

When word of the shortages got to Danby's group, which organizes donations and care packages for soldiers serving overseas, she began a push for donations. Chapter volunteers packed more than 50 care packages the Beale soldiers took with boxes of other items.

Danby said many of the donations came from businesses such as Walmart, The Dollar Store and Sunsweet rather than individuals, which she attributed to a number of factors.

"I don't know if it's because it's not in front of people that soldiers need help, or maybe a complacency sets in," she said, adding the recession might also be a factor. "But us moms, we know our soldiers and what they need."

Some donations came from individuals through a business, such as Sadie Cogar of Yuba City, who dropped off Christmas decorations and candy at the chapter's Bogue Road headquarters Wednesday afternoon.

Cogar said she and her three co-workers at R&H Leasing in Yuba City opted not to buy gifts for each other and donate to a good cause instead.

"We don't need the gifts," she said. "And we all know somebody who's got a family member who's a soldier."

Her contributions added to extensive stacks in the group's front room, with more in a back area. Magazines, hair brushes, stuffed animals, Girl Scout cookies, boxer shorts, popcorn, Top Ramen and gourmet coffee were among the largesse.

Not all the donations will just go to soldiers in Afghanistan; Danby said school supplies are destined for an Afghani girls school targeted by the Taliban.

As the soldiers rolled up to gather the donations, Danby greeted them with a declaration: "I bet I can fill up your truck."

When asked about the difference between nacho cheese Doritos in Yuba City and the same product at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, Master Sgt. Bernadette Meehl's eyes grew wide. "You just don't know what you have until you don't have it," she said, while another solider said he'd seen photos of the base store at Bagram with empty shelves.

"It's amazing, what you think you can just get at a store and you can't," Meehl said. Much of what her group was picking up would be taken directly to the post office, and should arrive in Afghanistan in about a week, she said.

With President Barack Obama set to address the nation Tuesday night about Afghanistan, a plan many believe will involve more soldiers, donations collected by the Blue Star Moms are only going to be more in demand.

"My thought is, when you hear they're sending more troops, they're sending them to fight," Danby said. "Not build stores."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com.