WEYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) - Matt Bryer of Weymouth was only in sixth grade when brother David, then 18, left home to serve in Iraq in 2008.
Wanting to help his brother and other soldiers, Matt and his English teacher organized a drive to collect toiletries and non-perishables to send in care packages to soldiers overseas.
Matt, now a 15-year-old Weymouth High School sophomore, has continued the drive, even setting up a website and social media pages for it. The program is called Safe Soldier.
"I like giving back in community service," Matt said. "It's a great way to spend your time."
He has seen the program grow enormously in the last 18 months. The most recent collection was finished on Dec. 2.
"My mom's Jeep was filled top to bottom," Matt said of the donations. "It's been a noticeable increase."
Matt had collection bins in all 12 of Weymouth's public schools, at local businesses, and at the police and fire stations. He met with interim School Superintendent Matthew Farron this year to make Safe Soldier an official partner of the town's school system.
Matt and four other Weymouth High students pack toiletries, non-perishables and magazines into care packages after school.
Matt said he hoped to make 25 care packages with the most recent donations. He said his family pays most of the postage costs.
Even though the latest collection drive is over, Safe Soldier is still accepting monetary donations and handwritten cards to soldiers. It is also seeking names and addresses of prospective care-package recipients.
Matt said he devotes about 10 hours a week to Safe Soldier during active collection periods.
"I really liked helping soldiers and sending care packages to (my brother)," he said, thinking back to his first collection drive in 2008. "This is something I'd definitely like to continue."
Source: http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/12/27/weymouth-high-school-student-steps-up-for-troops
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