Greenville, N.C. — Donations are beginning to fill the shelves and bins in the warehouses of a local group that brings holiday cheer to troops deployed overseas.

The North Carolina branch of Give 2 the Troops issued an urgent plea for help on WRAL last week after it appeared the group wouldn't be able to meet its goal of sending Christmas care packages to 8,000 soldiers.

A week later, donations have gotten the group up to meeting 40 percent of its goals, branch director Barbara Whitehead said. People have given about $6,000 to cover the costs of shipping, which totaled to $16,000 during the 2006 holiday season.

Christmas items have also started to come in. One local doctor donated 600 pounds of candy for stocking stuffers, Whitehead said.

Give 2 the Troops has mailed 130 packages – each with enough goodies for at least 10 soldiers. That's up from last Friday when the group thought they would only be able to send out between 25 and 50 packages this year.

Whitehead thanked people for what they have done so far and asked for donations to keep coming in.

Businesses are encouraged to sponsor postage for a week or a month. Employees could also pack a stocking full of goodies.

Monetary donations, handwritten cards and letters can be sent to:

Give2TheTroops, Inc.
ATTN: Barbara Whitehead, NC Branch Director
3109 Landmark St.
Greenville, NC 27834

Needed Christmas Items

• Stockings
• Garland, miniature trees, ornaments, and other decorations
• Pocket games, and board games
• Electronic hand-held games

Other Popular Items

• Protein-rich snacks, like peanuts, granola bars, sausage sticks, tuna in pouches, trail mix, exercise bars
• Flavored drink mix pouches that simply be poured into a bottle or camel back of water.
• Hard candy
• Popcorn
• Microwavable pasta bowls or macaroni-and-cheese

For other ideas, click here.