AUBURN – Soldiers with the 619th Transportation Company in Auburn will also be receiving Christmas cheer from the folks back home.

A wife of one of the soldiers, artist Jasmine Dan, is creating 180 hand-decorated Christmas boxes for members of the 619th in Iraq. She is being helped by Jami Dubois, who is engaged to another member of the 619th.

The boxes will be filled with candy and other small items, said Athena Bussiere, coordinator of the 619th’s Army Reserve Family Readiness Group.

Bussiere said each box will have a tag with the first name of each soldier, provided to the group by the company commander. The 619th has units in Auburn and Dexter.

The group has shipped care packages over to the 619th numerous times, she said. Care is taken to make sure enough items are shipped so that all the soldiers receive something, she said.

“We can’t do it for just one,” Bussiere said. To raise money for postage, the group has held yard sales and sells T-shirts and hats with the 619th’s logo.

Anyone who would like to help with this effort should phone Bussiere at 966-3052.