Community organizations, businesses provide care packages for soldiers

Jasmine Crowl, a local Gold Star Mother, and her husband Glenn, along with several local businesses and organizations gathered enough items to send 60 boxes of food, candy, toiletries and other needed goods from home to 60 soldiers who are on their second or third tours of duty in Iraq.

These are soldiers in the same group as Crowl's son, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Cornell Chao, who was killed in action in Iraq on January 28, 2007.

Many local organizations donated items for the boxes, and the VFW Post 10227 has donated the money to mail all of the packages.

Crowl said she had originally gathered names for 48 boxes, but received so many donations that she was able to pack 60 boxes for the soldiers.