DELRAY BEACH -- It may seem like the most unusual Christmas list.

Among the items: foot powder, Easy Cheese, playing cards, beef jerky and tube socks.

But for soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world, the snacks, hygiene products and other goodies compiled in care packages are cherished gifts from home.

"I can't say enough about it," said former Staff Sgt. Walter Brown, an Atlantic High School graduate who served in Iraq in 2003. "Most people who have been away from family and friends for a long time, they know what it's like to just get anything from home."

For the past few months, You Are Not Alone, a Delray Beach-based support group for families of service men and women, and Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, Inc., a Palm Beach County-based nonprofit, have teamed up with the city of Delray Beach to send care packages to soldiers based overseas during the holidays.

The partnership began when City Commissioner Brenda Montague thought of the idea at a You Are Not Alone meeting.

"Honest to God, it just came to me," Montague said, who is thrilled with the support the program has received.

Organizers say that Delray Beach is the first city in Palm Beach County to pair up with Forgotten Soldiers, a national group established in 2003 that sends care packages to military service workers.

"We get a city standing behind us and we hope that it starts a precedent," said Lynne Chauncey, the organization's founder and president. "Let other cities see that Delray Beach was right there. Let other cities jump on board."

The city pledged about $5,000 to the project, which will cover shipping costs. Delray Beach soldiers -- organizers know of at least seven -- will get priority in receiving the care packages.

Donations were made at at least nine drop-off boxes around the city and the goods filled the city manager's office, spilling over the table and onto the chairs and floor.

"It was everywhere," said Delores Rangel, who works in the city commissioner's office and has a daughter who has been to Iraq several times.

Local schoolchildren also wrote letters to the soldiers.

Last Sunday, Montague, Mayor Jeff Perlman, City Commissioner Fred Fetzer and other Delray Beach officials joined the volunteers in packing up the goods to be sent out. Tax Collector Ann Gannon also helped out.

Brown, who grew up in Delray Beach and now lives in Sunrise, said it is hard to put into words how the soldiers feel when they receive the gifts. He was a recipient of a Forgotten Soldiers package and he is confident soldiers receiving gifts from Project Holiday will be just as grateful.

"That was the greatest," he said. "Receiving those letters, the kids asked the weirdest questions, what was really on their mind, like did you get a chance to ride a camel. Off the wall type things. It's just genuine."

About 280 packages, which could benefit about 750 people, were shipped out this week. The bounty is expected to arrive in time for the holidays.

"The people of the community have just come together. The outpouring support has just been unbelievable," Rangel said. "Sometimes I think people tend to forget our soldiers. But you know what, our soldiers are still overseas fighting for us."