The idea of sharing homemade cookies with the community took root a year ago at First Presbyterian Church in Oshkosh.

It was a form of outreach as the church gave away about 100 bags of assorted cookies as a Christmas holiday treat. They weren't done giving — not by a long stretch.

"We thought why can't we do it again, but this time we'll do it for our military and on a second drive for the community," said Kathy Anderson, a member of First Presbyterian in Oshkosh, who helped spearhead the cookie drive for soldiers serving overseas and at bases in the United States. "We had so much fun the first time we baked cookies and felt so good with the blessings that we have received, so we wanted to expand it. We want our soldiers to know we are thinking of them."

Photos: Supporting the Troops at LeRoy's Bar

Anderson, along with Sharon Engel and Sue Wresch, who also attend First Presbyterian in Oshkosh, spent time in the church's kitchen last week making at least 20 dozen homemade cookies to send to the troops this holiday season. Engel said some from the church are making cookies at their homes for the troops.

The public can also assist by dropping off homemade cookies and cookies or candy purchased from stores and also cards by Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church, 110 Church Ave. Drop-off hours at the church are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Engel said if anyone has the name and address of a service member the soldier will get a box of treats.

Other goodwill efforts are also being conducted in Oshkosh to make sure soldiers have a little love from the home front.

Michelle Schmid, who teaches 4-year-old kindergarten classes at the downtown Oshkosh YMCA, said the children she teaches recently donated toys to her husband's Army unit, and teachers at the YMCA and friends donated candy. Schmid said McDonald's restaurant and Hardee's restaurant also donated toys. Her husband's unit, which is serving in Afghanistan, passes out the toys and candy to children in Afghanistan.

Schmid said the 4-year-olds she teaches at the YMCA will also be making homemade cards and writing letters starting this month that will be sent to her son's Marine Corps unit, which is serving in Iraq.

Members of Trinity Lutheran Church, 370 Bowen St., have organized "Operation Care Package," which has been highly successful since its inception about four years ago.

Last year during the holidays, they shipped about 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food, hygiene products and other items for distribution to the troops during the holiday season, said Bill Welk, a member of Trinity Lutheran.

"We are concerned about helping out our soldiers and that is the main thing. Right now, we have three young people from our congregation who are or will be serving in Iraq and Afghanistan," Welk said.

Welk said Trinity Lutheran ships its donations to a group in Joliet, Ill., which gathers donations from throughout the nation to send to troops overseas.

"We also give people here in Oshkosh an opportunity to direct a package to a certain soldier, but they need to give us the name and mailing address," Welk said.

Welk said non-perishable food and other items are accepted from anyone in the community and can be dropped off at Trinity Lutheran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 or Saturday, Nov. 28. All donations must be dropped off at the church by 3 p.m., Friday, Dec. 4.

"We'll have a big packing party on the first Saturday in December by members of our church and our church youth," Welk said.

Welk said monetary donations are also appreciated to help defray the cost of shipping the goods from Joliet to soldiers overseas.

Helping soldiers far away from home with a care package of goodies is a labor of love, Engel said.

"It's a simple thing for us to do and I hope in the long run it will catch the soldiers hearts and their tummies," Engel said. "We want to bring about peace one cookie at a time."