Posted Thursday, October 29, 2009 --- 4:00 p.m.

Typically in our Unsung Hero segment we honor current or retired members of the military. This month, we're changing the rules a bit. We want to acknowledge the work of a group of local volunteers who, through their H.O.M.E. (Help Our Military Every Day) project, are supporting our troops by sending them a little taste of home.

In the basement of a Madison home, volunteers are busy sending a little bit of home to members of our military. Karen Schilling heads up the AT&T Pioneers, a non-profit group of volunteers comprised of retired and current AT&T employees. One of their biggest projects is H.O.M.E. (Help Our Military Every Day). Schilling explains: "We send packages to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we send two a day, six days a week."

On a recent Sunday afternoon, while others watched the Packers game, the Pioneers were putting together care packages filled with donated items--everything from toiletries to treats. The packages contain magazines, toothpaste, jerky, Girl Scout cookies, wet wipes, and many other items.

Since the Iraq War began, they've sent nearly 5,000 care packages and more than 9,000 birthday cards to our troops. Retired Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Tim Lease received one of the care packages while serving in Iraq. He said, "It mean a lot. When you're over there, sometimes it feels like you're forgotten, like nobody knows you're there. When you get packages from different organizations--Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, AT&T Pioneers--it really lightens your heart."

Judy Anderson's daughter, Dawn Archuleta, was the first recipient of a Pioneers care package when the Iraq War began. "It's been very dear to my heart since she's been there and been home."

That's why Judy volunteers to put care packages together, and that's why she fights back tears when she thinks of the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan right now. "Since I've had someone serve over there, my whole outlook on life has been different, because every day you wait and wonder if it's going to be your child or not. When you hear someone's injured or wounded, you have that 30 seconds of relief when you find out it's not yours, and then you have an hour of grief because you find out it's someone else's. So it's changed my whole life, and if I can do anything for them, that's what I want to do."

Three of the thousands of troops who have received the packages, didn't make it home--Sgt. Ryan Adams, PFC Jaron Holliday, and Sgt. Joshua Brennan. The group took the news of their deaths in battle extremely hard.

Schilling vows their care package operation will continue as long as the need is there. "This is my basement, and some day it will be a rec room... when the war is over. We thought we were going to be doing this for six months when we started, and six years later, we're still doing this."

While pointing to her basement wall covered with thank you notes, e-mails, and photos from recipients of the packages, Schilling said,
"It gives you warm hugs when you know they appreciate what you're doing. It's something that takes very little time for us. It seems such a little thing, given what they're doing, and what they're living with every day. I could not do what they're doing."

You can help by donating items for those care packages, or by sending a check made out to "Telecom Pioneers" to Karen's address below.

The group needs the following items for the care packages :
Wet wipes, single serve drink mix, single flat sheets, Pop-Tarts, jerky,
white or black crew socks, cereal bars, and microwave popcorn.

You can e-mail Karen Schilling: karens51@ameritech.net or call her at 608-249-1891.

Drop off items or mail checks payable to Telecom Pioneers to:
AT&T Pioneers,
c/o Karen Schilling
4311 Esch Lane Madison, WI 53704.

Karen also can tell you how you can help with H.O.M.E.’s annual holiday care package-assembling event December 5th in Cross Plains.