A group of New England College students has started sending weekly packages to soldiers in Afghanistan. They hope to continue as long as they have supplies. One of the soldiers is the brother of faculty adviser Wayne Lesperance, who talked about the program.

What have the students been doing? We have a group called CivicCorp, a group of students dedicated to community service activities. One student approached the group and said, "My fiance is in Afghanistan, in the Marines and would love to get something from home. Is this something you could do?" They began collecting items, wrote letters to thank soldiers for their service, and it took on a life of its own. They wanted to involve the campus community.

How did they decide what to send? They contacted soldiers over there. . . . A lot was comfort items like candy. We purchased or had donated pounds and pounds of Jolly Rancher candy. Everyday things like deodorant that's hard to come by. As colder weather comes, socks and undershirts, (which) don't hold up very well. They also really enjoy getting letters from home.

Which soldiers are getting the packages? One is the fiance of a current student, a U.S. Marine. The newest addition is my brother, who just got to Afghanistan a couple of weeks ago with the U.S. Army. We've been sending extra of everything so they can share with the soldiers' platoons.

How many students are involved? About a dozen.

Is this specifically a holiday program? Assuming they keep getting donations, we'll keep going. . . . We didn't begin as a holiday program, but we're sensitive that guys will be over there during the holidays.