Moms send cheer to service members

GREENVILLE — Just a few days before Christmas 2005, Jane Davis could sense the discouragement in her son's voice over the phone. It had little to do with the fact that the 23-year-old, a member of the Navy, was serving in the Persian Gulf on the crew of the USS Nassau.

Wood was dejected because five members of his unit had not received the kind of gifts he received on a regular basis — cards, letters and home-baked cookies.

"Danny shared his goodies with them," said Davis, "and they were appreciative. But one of them said, 'If my name is not on the box, it's just not the same.'"

That inspired Davis to a new mission. By May 2006 she had founded the Upstate chapter of Blue Star Mothers. Five months later, she mounted the group's first Christmas campaign.

"That's all it took to be as motivated as I could to help these guys who don't have family," said Davis. "So many boys in the service don't have families; many are from dysfunctional families. That's where Blue Star Mothers fills in, to try to help a little."

For the Blue Star Mothers, October is collection month. In order to ensure pre-Christmas arrival to military personnel around the world, the group's members must have gifts collected and boxed by early November.

Davis is looking for personal items — baby wipes, foot powder, hand sanitizers, disposable razors, toiletries, hard candy or cookies. The troops, on the other hand, tend to seek children's items.

"These guys ask for nothing," Davis said. "Last year, when they were asked, they asked us to send clothes to Afghan kids who have no coats and no shoes."

The Blue Star Mothers will accept "anything, anytime" that might be of value to the troops. Davis hopes to get most of the donations in boxes by Nov. 1, and collect some last-minute donations at the Greenville Christmas Parade Nov. 1.

The Upstate chapter mailed out boxes to 500 servicemen last year. Davis hopes to reach more military personnel this Christmas — thanks, in part, to a summer of volunteer work at Greenville Drive home baseball games. By staffing a concession-stand booth at the baseball games, the Blue Star Mothers raised approximately $10,000, more than enough needed to pay for postage, which last year cost about $4,000.

Davis, who retired in 2001 after a 30-year career at BellSouth, is the organizational strategist in the campaign. Because she suffers from Parkinson's disease and dystonia, much of the physical labor becomes the task of her husband of 19 years, Dick Davis. The Upstate chapter of Blue Star Mothers is one of about 160 around the country, including four in the Upstate.