Books and bakers are soldier smile-makers

Franklin - Karen Grochowski and her roughly 200 volunteers want to make enough holiday cookies to feed an army.

Grochowski, the coordinator of Books for Soldiers in Franklin, said she and the volunteers - they call themselves the Badger Buddies - will meet their goal: They will make 30,000 cookies and send them to U.S. service personnel stationed mainly in Afghanistan.

The batch, said Grochowski, an assistant at the Franklin Public Library, means 5,000 soldiers will each get half a dozen cookies - and a welcomed taste of home.

"We have done a couple of special requests," said Grochowski, a 26-year resident of the city. "One wanted oatmeal, but it had to be oatmeal with pecans."

Bakers' special treats

She and her home troops are happy to oblige. She enlists her family as well as the Your Are Special Bakers, a group of volunteers in Waukesha that Grochowski said supplies about half the cookies, which will be sent out this weekend from the library.

While special orders don't upset them, Grochowski said the group sends "a lot of drop cookies, bar cookies that ship well."

"Anything that combines chocolate and peanut butter goes over well," said Grochowski, who with the help of her family, including 26-year-old daughter Lynn, were to make 70 dozen cookies. Soldiers can expect O'Henry bars, Scotcharoos and chocolate-dipped Oreos from the Grochowski household this year.

Story "book" beginning

The cookie drive grew out of the Books for Soldiers effort, which Grochowski started in Franklin seven years ago.

"It started in fall of 2004, when my son was deployed in Iraq," she said. "When my son was deployed, all he went over with was a sleeping bag."

She was looking for something to send along with her son, Brian, now 28, during his 18-month stint when she came across the Books for Soldiers website, which lists soldiers' requests.

She recognized quickly that there were many soldiers in need of essentials, including books to help them bide their time while away from family and friends.

"I started sending some books. That was my original intent."

The Friends of the Library was more than willing to help. It donated books from the library's annual sale as well as $500 for Grochowski to get Books for Soldiers up and running in Franklin.

"That's when I realized there was probably a lot of support in the community to do this," she said.

Others groups in the community - churches, service groups, school groups - were eager to hold book drives.

Books have been the mainstay of the program, with those by Tom Clancy, James Patterson, Dean Koontz and Steven King favorites.

"If a soldier wants a specific title, I search for it," Grochowski said.

Branching out for the military

Shortly after the program took hold in Franklin, volunteers began considering soldiers' other needs, as well.

"Within four months, it had moved beyond me sending books, to other people helping me collect items requested by the troops. I kind of told the soldiers that this is a community effort in Franklin."

Now, care packages containing toiletries, puzzles and special food items are also sent. "Hand-warmers are requested a lot," she said.

"My most unusual request was a soldier asking for a recording of a toilet flushing," she said, as it was a sound unheard of in his wartime environment. "It made him laugh."

Another sought-after item? "Verlo Mattress sent 1,000 pillows," she said.

A barrel in the library's lobby collects items to be sent. There's a Christmas wish list displayed that, if honored, will stuff 250 stockings for the soldiers.

"Northwestern Mutual has done a collection drive for us for at least three years," said Grochowski.

Also included in the packages to troops are Christmas cards or letters from Cub Scout Pack 582 at Robinwood School, students at St. Martin of Tours and Ben Franklin Elementary, and children participating in youth programs at the library.

"We not only ramp it up, we amp it up for the holidays," said Grochowski. "That's when they're missing home the most."