Belinda Nester, who serves as executive assistant to Executive Deputy Secretary for Community Corrections and Reentry George Little, served with her fellow Blue Star Mothers of Central PA 10 by packing 42 boxes of supplies to send to service members currently deployed. The boxes contained a variety of snacks and meal items, hygiene products, magazines, playing cards, blankets, thank-you notes from first graders and a letter from the Blue Star Mothers.
Blue Star Mothers of Central PA 10 are mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have children serving in the military or who are veterans. The group aims to support each other and their children while promoting patriotism. For more on the group, visit its site.
Belinda (second from the right in the above photo) lost her youngest daughter, Aereyelle Dominique Dubois, three years ago. Elle, as everyone knew her by, joined the Army and was a staff sergeant with the 257 Engineering Company of Johnstown. Elle is described by Belinda as a beautiful, courageous, intelligent, kind, spunky soldier and nurse, who was a friend to everyone she met. She counseled victims of rape and abuse, having lived through those same horrors with her biological family. The Nesters took Elle in and raised her as their youngest daughter. Belinda said that going to these meetings and working with these other women helped ease her sorrow following Elle's death and has allowed her to know that they can still make a difference.