UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the fifth consecutive year, students in the Collegiate 4-H Club in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are spreading holiday joy to American troops overseas.

As a result of the club's "Boxes of Cheer" project, dozens of boxes filled with various items donated from the community are being shipped to more than 40 designated soldiers in Iraq over the holidays. The 4-H members put drop-off boxes around the Penn State campus for students and faculty to leave shippable items, and then gathered with volunteers to form an assembly line of packaging. The purpose is to "share the Christmas spirit with a group that is usually forgotten this time of year," says group president Bernadette Nace.

"Most of the contents are necessities that people here take for granted -- anything from books, pencils, candy and magazines to toothbrushes and even Christmas cookies," Nace says. "Some of the gifts are special as well, including letters from people in 4-H. Most people forget about the female troops, so things a female would like are especially appreciated."

"Boxes of Cheer" isn't a simple operation, Nace explains. Accomplishing the task requires a lot of administration, developing the students' organizational skills even as it provides a community service.

In addition to helping the troops, the project is rewarding to those who volunteer. Amy Filson, a junior majoring in elementary and early childhood education, says many soldiers send letters, tee-shirts and other mementos as a way of saying thank-you. "Last year, one soldier wrote saying how appreciative he was for our hard work and even took a picture with his entire unit in their dress uniforms," she says. "It made it all worth it."

Troops are always grateful because they realize how difficult the process is to get the boxes over to Iraq, Nace explains. Federal confidentiality policies mean there is no central, public listing of active soldiers. Members solicit names and addresses from families, friends and other personal contacts - a time-consuming process, but Nace says it's worth it.

"We get thank-you letters all the time, with pictures and sometimes gifts in return," she says. "Once, we had a soldier send us back his Christmas list."

Penn State's Collegiate 4-H is a private, nonprofit student organization that allows members to continue their community-based 4-H activities of recreation and community service and encourages their confidence and leadership skills. More information on the chapter can be found on the Web at http://studentclubs.cas.psu.edu/Collegiate4H.html, or by contacting chapter advisor Jacklyn Bruce at 814-863-1789.

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EDITORS: Contact Jackie Bruce at 814-863-1789 or by e-mail at jab743@psu.edu.

Writer: Donna Abdullah

Editor Gary Abdullah Phone: 814-863-2708 E-mail: gxa2@psu.edu