Blue Ridge Communications is asking the public to share in adding some of the warmth of the yuletide season with Keystone Soldiers and its Stockings for Soldiers program, by sending food and hygiene items and Christmas cards to our men and women spending Christmas away from home.

The Stockings for Soldiers program is 100 percent funded by public donations.Donations can be dropped off at any Blue Ridge Communications office before Nov. 14.The following is a Christmas Wish List for care packages, which will go to all branches of the military and to locations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Korea and any other troops who request support from home. The asterisk designates items most needed or requested by the troops.• Christmas stockings: 12-inch to 20-inch in size; handmade or purchased• Christmas hats: Santa or elf type• Paper or plastic Christmas decorations (no glass ornaments or lights)• Ground or instant coffee and hot tea; coffee creamer and sugar packets too• Power Bars, cereal bars, trail mix, granola bars and healthy snacks*• Slim Jims, beef or turkey jerky• Sunflower seeds and nuts• Individual snacks like chips, crackers, cookies, cheese/cracker kits• Peanut butter and jelly, small size plastic jars*• Candy canes• Small sewing kits and manicure kits• Sunscreen and insect repellent*• Chap Stick with sunscreen, Blistex• Deodorant, travel size• Foot Powder and foot cream for athlete's foot*• Odor Eaters (for boots), Dr. Scholl's foot pads, blister pads• Hand sanitizer, small size bottles to carry with them• Men's and ladies' calf high socks or boot socks in black or white.• Hand and foot warmers• Thermal gloves or glove liners• New or used game systems like PS3, PS2, WII, Xbox or Xbox 360• Video games for the systems above or small hand-held games• CDs and DVDs: New or used are fine. Current releases are appreciated*• AT&T Global Pre-Paid Calling Cards* (available at

www.aafes.com)• Money for shipping costs. Monetary donations are strongly needed to help ship the care packages.Please note that the U.S. Postal Service regulations do not allow anything in aerosol cans to be shipped. Shipping currently takes about 14-21 days to the combat zones. It takes about a week to get everything sorted and boxed, so please keep this in mind when you are checking expiration dates on food items.