Blue Star Mothers is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization with chapters throughout the United States. “We’re all mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers who have a son or daughter who is either currently in the military or has been in the military,” says Susan Thesenvitz, second vice president of Broken Arrow Blue Star Mothers, Chapter 5. “(Blue Star Mothers) probably saved my sanity while my son was gone.” Thesenvitz first joined her local chapter in 2010 when her son deployed to Afghanistan. “I needed something to do. This was the first time he’d ever been really out of range,” Thesenvitz recalls. “It was a tough year to get through.” And the volunteers at Blue Star Mothers definitely keep busy. “Our chapter packs and ships 100 to 300 boxes a month (to soldiers deployed abroad.) We’re always packing boxes,” Thesenvitz says. She also notes packages are sent to entire units/divisions versus the chapter only catering to individuals from this area. The care package items — which are either donated or purchased with financial donations — include essentials like soup, beef jerky, toothpaste, toothbrushes, pens and paper. But they also include comforting and uplifting goods like drawings from elementary school students, Girl Scouts cookies, newspaper comic clippings, puzzles and a deck of cards. In December, they even include hand-sewn stockings. And because her chapter sends out so many boxes, Thesenvitz has encountered soldiers who had received a box from Blue Star Mothers. “We get these big bear hugs (from them), and that’s the payoff for me,” Thesenvitz says. “If you want to know the truth, I pack and ship that box for that hug.” Donated items can be dropped off at the chapter’s Broken Arrow office in the Broken Arrow Veterans Center at 1117 S. Main St., and financial contributions made at babluestar.org. Visit the website to access a list of most-needed donation items, find out how you can get involved in packing boxes yourself, or make a care package request on behalf of a specific service member.