When Linda Oliver of Buckley Road in Findley Township realized that her son Stephen was headed to Iraq several months ago, she couldn't help but fear for him and worry about his wife and two young children.

But the Life Skills teacher for Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, whose Life Skills program is located at Grove City Middle School in Grove City, found a way to channel her worries into helping him and other soldiers.

And she had a little help from some friends.

Seventh- and eighth-grade students at the middle school decided to collect items from a Red Cross list to send overseas to soldiers. Seventh-grader Kellie Perna began the project after discussing her idea with Mrs. Oliver.

"I just felt the need since I couldn't do anything else sitting at home," said the 13-year-old. "When I brought it up to her, Mrs. Oliver started crying so I knew it was a good idea."

Because of security regulations, sending packages overseas requires a contact person in the armed forces to whom to send the items. The students wanted that person to be Mrs. Oliver's son, who is a captain with the Army's Fourth Infantry, based at Fort Hood, Texas. The 1994 Mercer High school alumni graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and has been in the Army for five years.

"I've been so proud of the kids here. I wanted to give the kids recognition because they worked so hard," she said, adding that this activity, which is entitled Project Iraqi Freedom, has helped her during this time. "Kellie (Perna) really wanted to do this on her own and thought 'how', so together with my son, it all came together. (We) got the National Junior Honor Society to sponsor the program."

"It's always the fear of the unknown that's the hardest to deal with, the not hearing and not being able to communicate," she said, adding that her husband, William, has also been worried about Stephen and his family.

"We think about his wife Julie and their two children, how they are they dealing with it. We're more concerned with them not being able to communicate. It's difficult to not be able to communicate as we so easily do whenever we want to. It's the fear of the unknown that's the hardest to deal with," Mrs. Oliver said, adding that Stephen's children, Paige and Claire, are 3-years-old and 10 months, respectively.

She got a letter from her son recently, but it was weeks old. Mrs. Oliver said that he writes about "how the heat is pretty much hard to explain. It's a cool day when it's 90 (degrees). The hottest is 110 degrees. Clothes actually dry out and get stiff when it's that hot. (He said there's) not much there but sand. (He) hasn't seen too many living creatures at all." He has been in the Kuwait/Iraq area for about five weeks, she said.

When Stephen arrived in the Gulf area, he had to travel about a 100 miles to get to Camp Pennsylvania, a command center in Kuwait. "(He said) it took 14 hours to get to the location point because of all the security. He didn't have any word to explain it except horrible. He's been especially requesting Swedish Fish," she said.

Swedish Fish, Pop Tarts, Fiddle Faddle, eye drops, toilet paper and Baby Wipes were some of the items that students were packing up to send out Monday. Donated items brought the packaged box count to 53.

"We went by the list that the Red Cross provided. They have no access to showers, so we're sending baby wipes and hand sanitizers, Q-Tips, anything that would make them feel more comfortable," Mrs. Oliver said. "The only thing I know we can't send is chocolate except M&Ms, because in the heat they don't melt."

She said students brought all kinds of things to donate, including lots of bubble gum and some hand-held games to give the soldiers something to do while they continue the "supporting sustainment," which they have been helping to carry out since the end of the war.

"I think it's important that we show our support even after the fighting is done," said 14-year-old Courtney Bright. "Because we need to show our support for the troops," added 14-year-old Katie Sheridan. Both eighth-graders were helping to pack the items to send overseas Monday afternoon at the school.

Besides donating items, the students helped to raise about $175 to mail the packages.

Kellie is glad that the idea went so well. Her parents joined the kids Monday afternoon to tape the packages and help to send them. "My grandpa was in a war, though he doesn't like to talk about it. I just had to do something," she said.

Mrs. Oliver was glad the idea turned into reality. "Out of all the classes, my Life Skills class won the contest for collecting the most items because they knew how much this meant to me," she said.

"Anything that would let (the troops) know that the people at home have not forgotten them. Even though the main fighting is over, there are thousands of troops that will remain for some time," she added.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Sherris Moreira-Byers at sbyers@sharonherald.com