The holiday season is quickly approaching and soon we will be bombarded with sales advertisements, Christmas songs and Christmas decorations.

Normally, the shopping season begins the day after Thanksgiving.

However, one group of folks in Rio Rancho has already started its shopping. The Rio Rancho Blue Star Mothers are in full combat mode. This military support group is on the prowl for gifts and donations to make care packages for our troops.

The Blue Star Mothers want the troops to receive the boxes between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

RRBSM president Marla Griffith said that some of the young men and women are on the second and third deployment and they look forward to the packages.

The packages are not just filled with practical items like toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant, but also little reminders of home.

"For instance we put in little packages of 505 green chile and red pepper flakes to spice up the bland MREs," Griffith said. "We also have school children drawing cards and writing letters. The troops love those. They put them on the wall to remind them of why they are over there."

Wanting to ensure all hometown warriors receive a package, the Mothers adopted the Alpha Company of the Rio Rancho National Guard, which was deployed to Iraq last month.

Shortly after the unit received orders to report to Fort Dix, N.J. for training this past summer, the Mothers adopted the unit.

"Our main reason for being is to support the troops. We support the troops, our veterans and each other," Griffith said. "Only one mom knows what another mom is going through with their children in danger."

Griffith said the care packages remind the troops that people back home care about them.

"The troops appreciate these packages," she said. "When they come back to see their families, they come to our meetings and talk to us about how much it means to get the packages. Some kids don't get anything, so they share the packages with others."

While opening the care packages makes the troops feel appreciated, Griffith said that making the packages gives the moms a great feeling.

"When you pack a box, you feel so good to know that a soldier, sailor, marine or an airmen is going to open that box ad pull out everything," she said. "It takes their mind off what they're doing on a day-to-day basis and they know that people back in the U.S. appreciate what they are doing."

The Blue Star Mothers meet on the first and third Thursday of each month at the First Baptist Church.

Griffith, whose son Scott Black was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1987 after five years of service as a medic, started the local chapter in August of 2006.

The group has grown from 20 to 50 mothers and Griffith said more mothers are joining each month.

"There's a lot of laughter and a lot of tears," she said. "They know they have someone to turn to."

Though they're called the Mothers and the focus is on moms, the group is not exclusive. Griffith said they have plenty of fathers, brothers and sisters of servicemen and women who join the group.

The Blue Star Mothers will begin packing the items at noon on Nov. 17 at American Legion Post 118, located at 1500 Barbara Loop. They will mail the packages on Nov. 19.

Persons wanting to submit names and addresses of active duty personnel, whether deployed overseas or serving statewide, should do so by Nov. 6. Names with complete mailing addresses should be sent by e-mail to bluestarmaggie@cableone.net For security reasons, all mailing lists are destroyed after each mailing.

More than 400 packages are anticipated to be sent and the postage rate is $9.10 per box. Therefore, financial donations are welcomed.

Financial donations should be addressed to Financial Secretary and mailed to Rio Rancho Blue Star Mothers, P.O. Box 15594, Rio Rancho, NM 87174. The drop box in the old City Hall is no longer available, so the Blue Star Mothers hope that local businesses will volunteer space in their lobbies. Until then, persons wanting to donate items can call Teresa Dosch at 610-7456 or Rosanne Bianco at 269-7158 to arrange for pickup.

Suggested donated items include fly paper, aloe gel sun screen, lip balm, bug spray, deodorant, insect repellant, wet wipes, liquid hand sanitizer, foot care products, flip flops, white cotton tube socks, individually-packaged cookies, energy bars, trail mix, beef jerky, individually-packaged drink mixes, cans of fruit, green chili, sliced jalapenos, nacho dip, salsa, Vitamin B-1 tablets, small electronic games, DVDs, CDs, Sudoku and crossword puzzle books, squirt guns, hacky sacks and Silly String.

For more information, call Marla Griffith at (505) 660-4523.

The Blue Star Mothers are mothers who now have, or have had, children honorably serving in the military. It is a non-profit (501[c]3) service organization supporting one other and their children while promoting patriotism.

The Blue Star Mothers was formed in Flint, Mich., in 1942. The Flint News Advertiser printed a coupon for mothers of servicemen to fill out and return. After receiving 1,000 responses from the ad, a permanent organization was formed. The organization was chartered in June of 1960.

Though the organization was not chartered until 1960, the Mothers volunteered throughout the tough times of World War II. They worked in hospitals, train stations, packed care packages for soldiers and were a working part of homeland security during times of war. The organization waned in size over the years but has held together by mothers showing pride in both their children and country. In recent times we have began to grow in strength. The Blue Star Mothers provide support for active duty service personnel, but also promotes patriotism, assists Veterans organizations and are available to assist in homeland volunteer efforts to help the country remain strong.

A Mother or Stepmother (since the child was of the age of 13) who has a son or daughter who is serving, or has been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States is eligible to join. Services included are the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserve Units and the Merchant Marines.