Last updated 18 months ago 
STOCKTON, CA - In this week's Good People, News10 recognized a local mother who has made it her job to send a piece of home to American soldiers overseas, despite losing her own son, who was killed while serving in Baghdad in 2004.
Becky Mizener celebrated her fifth year as the founder of Packed with Pride, a non-profit organization dedicated to sending care packages to deployed military in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and the Coast Guard.
She started the group in her living room, in honor of her son Jesse, keeping his memory alive while reminding soldiers living far away of the love and support here at home.
"We began with one soldier in Afghanistan and soon the word got out and before we knew it, we had 50 and 100 and now over 1,600 names on our list," said Mizener.
Volunteers of all ages prepare boxes filled with food, candy, toiletries and DVD's to send to places like Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. All of the items are donated, including the money for postage and packing supplies.
Mizener said tough economic times have made it challenging this year. She recently spent over $1,000 just to re-stock the supplies because not enough donations are coming in right now. But she said being able to make a difference in so many soldiers' lives is worth it.
"That's why we do it because we know how important it is for them," Mizener said. "A lot of them don't have family support, so when they get a box it's like Christmas."
Packed with Pride's volunteers appreciate Mizener's leadership and genuine care for our nation's servicemen and women.
"We're blessed to have her in our community and in our nation," said volunteer Paul Covey. "This is so well organized and so easy to do that it's kind of a natural thing to come over here and do this."
Mizener encourages all of the volunteers to remember the purpose of their hard work and dedication. She said Packed with Pride is not about politics or the war, but about the soldiers. She said they're trying to make their deployment a little easier.
If you would like to donate, visit the Packed with Pride Web site.
News10/KXTV
