Blue Star Mothers seeking donations for holiday care packages

Houma’s chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana is seeking the public’s help with donations for Christmas packages to local soldiers serving in Iraq.

The non-profit group shipped 75 care packages over the summer following the “Christmas in July” drive.

With Christmas quickly nearing, the Blue Star moms are making a final plea for items to send to make soldiers’ holiday a little bit brighter. Donations are being accepted through Friday. To ensure troops receive the packages by Christmas, boxes will be shipped Saturday.

“We want to get the communities and businesses of the Tri-parish area involved in what we’re doing, and supporting our soldiers,” said organizer Suzie Johnston, who was instrumental in forming the Houma Blue Star Mothers chapter.

In addition to donated items, the Blue Star Mothers chapter is being given monetary donations from the annual “Red, White and Blue Day.” Celebrated Nov. 11 in local schools, government and business offices, participants pay a fee to wear red, white and blue that day. The proceeds benefit the package drive.

Last year, the Blue Star Mothers raised nearly $12,000. So far, the group has collected $4,600, Johnston said. St. Mary and Lafourche parish schools are still tallying their donations.

Monetary gifts help defray the cost of shipping boxes to soldiers, Blue Star mom Mona Delatte said. To mail 75 soldiers boxes in July, the group spent over $800 in postage.

“That’s why we do this. A lot of families do not have the money to send care-packages to their loved ones,” Delatte said. “We feel that with the help of the community, all the men and women serving from this area will be able to get something to tide them over until they return home.”

Blue Star Mothers hope to reach more than 400 soldiers this Christmas, Johnston said.

Delatte, who has a son (Corporal Brady Delatte) in the United States Marine Corps, said this is the first time the organization has had this many requests.

Luckily, Corporal Delatte will be home for the Christmas holidays. However, he will leave for his third tour of duty in January.

“For a mother with a son in the military, being a part of this organization is very important,” she said. “The many men and women who have given their lives for the rights that we have, we have to show our appreciation to them.”

“What people don’t realize is that the soldiers really appreciate what we are doing,” Delatte said. “We get thank you cards from them all the time.”

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Blue Star Mothers local chapter can attend one of their meetings held every third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Cajun Evergreen Center in Gray.

For more information call Johnston at 447-5200.