Sometimes when the mail arrives, a flag or two is addressed to her. "It's just amazing where they come from," said Kreh, organizer of Goodies For You, a volunteer group that mails packages to soldiers overseas. Goodies For You (G4U) has been in existence since 2004, the brainchild of Kreh, an Innsbrook resident. Through the help of countless volunteers and donations from all over the area, packages that contain anything from toiletry items to cookies to socks are mailed out monthly. But nothing that is stuffed into a small bag carries as much sentimental meaning as a star cut from a decommissioned American flag. It's an impression, evident from e-mails to handwritten notes back to the states, that has stuck with the men and women overseas. "It's a forever thing," Kreh explained. The stars are placed in a small sleeve with a short note asking the soldiers to remember that there are people supporting their efforts. The star is a great morale booster for the soldier who needs a "pick-me-up" following a long day, said volunteer Bob Braendle, a veteran who spent two years in Berlin. "It makes you feel much better knowing that you make them feel truly appreciated," he said. Sometimes a good luck charm is all they need. A soldier related in a letter he carried the star in his left breast pocket and had escaped two fire fights without a scratch. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. 8 For instance in one letter, a civilian contractor for the Army related how his friend was one of four killed and three others wounded in an ambush that caught a convoy off guard. The civilian wanted the recipient to keep the star as a reminder of the harm the troops face. "Every day they're out facing terror," Braendle said. "They don't know if they're coming back." Goodies For You began when Kreh's son was deployed and she yearned for a way to show support for the troops. She visited a group in Florida that mailed shoeboxes full of useful items to soldiers. By the time she returned home, she wanted to start her own small organization. Around 50 packages were mailed during the group's first gathering. In 2006, she began inserting a star from a tattered or torn flag that can no longer fly after approval from the American Veterans organization. Several local organizations, such as the Boy Scouts and the American Legion, cut the stars out of the flags. The remainder of the flag is respectfully disposed of, Braendle noted. While parents of soldiers and others have asked to pay for a star, Kreh said she is strict at making sure only active duty military personnel receive one. A flag company helped get the program off the ground and Goin' Postal in Warrenton also has been instrumental in making sure it continues. Now, flags just find a way to Kreh. "As people replace their flag, they bring them to me," she quipped. How much do the soldiers enjoy the shipments? Kreh's e-mail or mailbox is usually flooded with letters from overseas thanking her and others for the surprise gifts. Many of the soldiers place the stars in their wallets next to pictures of their children, inside the lining of their helmet or in the visors of Humvees. Last month, 609 packages were mailed to soldiers. In November, 525 more were mailed out. G4U won't hold any meetings in January and February, but its first packing of 2009 is expected to be held Feb. 13. The meetings are normally held the second Friday of every month. Items can always be donated to be placed in packages. Also, tax-deductible donations are needed to help offset the escalating postage rates to mail the boxes overseas. While Kreh has been overwhelmed at times - sometimes due to the community's generosity and also becasue of the organization's need to raise money - the objective is never in question. "Each box we send off we just send them a little bit of love from home," Kreh said.

'Love From Home'

'Love From Home'