WATERLOO - Dustin Woody doesn't want to forget those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially at the holidays.

The West High School senior is heading up an effort to collect donated food and others items for the military members Friday and Saturday at Crossroads Hy-Vee. The donations will be included in holiday packages sent out in November through the Iowa's Bravest project.

This will be the fourth year Woody has done the collection, and the third year West's Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps has helped.

"We're going to try and get most of our corps members out there if we can," said Woody, who is a corps member. The value of donated items and cash collected for the last two years totaled $6,391.

The students will be handing out lists of about 25 needed items at a table near the entrance and accepting donations as people leave the store. They will be at Hy-Vee from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

"Since Dustin started with us, he's been a go-getter," said Sgt. Mike McCrea, a West Junior ROTC instructor. "I'm really proud of everybody and the kids. It's a lot of fun - we have a lot of fun doing it."

Woody "is a very caring and compassionate young man." Iowa's Bravest founder Julie Ehlers wrote in an e-mail. "When we have so many nice young adults in our community like Dustin and his fellow cadets, we are all better for it."

McCrea said the snacks, drink mixes, lip balm and other items in the packages are appreciated. "You get something like that, it's a big morale boost," he noted. "We're not sending them luxury items."

He added, "It's been a phenomenal success. It's been something really good for the kids to do. It's showed that Waterloo cares a lot."

"This project, it's really cool. You feel a lot of pride for your country," said Woody. "You see the people don't limit themselves for our troops."

He initially did the project on his own as a freshman to complete a requirement of community service hours for a class. "I did some research with my mom, and she heard about the Iowa's Bravest at work." So Woody passed out fliers asking for donations to 250 homes in his neighborhood.

"We dropped off the fliers and a couple weeks later went around and picked up the donations," he said. "My front room was filled with popcorn, playing cards and lip balm."

That's when Woody discovered a soldier who had benefitted from the Iowa's Bravest project living in his neighborhood. Sgt. Les Canfield brought a donation to Woody's house so he could meet the student and shake his hand.

"That was my first year with doing (the collection) and it just totally motivated me to continue it," said Woody.