Charles Burks, creator of "Boonville Cares for Our Troops," knows what it's like to be on the front lines of war. As a Vietnam veteran, he's walked in soldier's boots.

"I kind of got an idea of what these guys go through because I've been there, and every little thing you get from home touches you a little bit," explained Burks.

And now he is giving back to troops by lending a hand building care packages. The campaign is raising donations for soldiers. Part of the package contains homemade cool ties and cooling helmet packs.

"We need to support our young men and women who are in harms way and it's so beastly hot over there," volunteer Jeannie Sanchez said. "They just really suffer with the heat and this is something that's very simple that we can do back here and send over and they love it."

Volunteers sew these cool packs right in Boonville. Then volunteers like Burks prepare the packs for travel.

"Until you've been there you can't understand it at all, and these guys deserve every little thing we can do for them," Burks said.

And the program does more than keep sweat off their brow.

"Our soldiers need to know that their not alone and their not forgotten and we love them, and we support them, and we're proud of them, and we want to do something just to make them smile," explained Shelia Payne, the chair of the campaign.

Just as the care packages send relief from the heat, they also send a little hometown love from Mid-Missouri. Organizers are looking for other items--from razors to DVDs--to send to overseas. There are 32 donation drop-off sites in Boonville.