SCARBOROUGH – Old Orchard Beach’s Hugs of Love continues mission with care package for Scott Delano, a 2008 Scarborough High grad.

SCARBOROUGH – Iraq is more than 5,600 miles away. Afghanistan is more than 6,300 miles away. But one local mother has made it her mission to make sure men and women from Maine who are serving in the military are remembered as they fight for their country.

And now her sights are set on Scott Delano, a 2008 Scarborough High School graduate currently serving a one-year tour of duty in Afghanistan.

For the past three years, Nancey Kelley, a 35-year resident of Old Orchard Beach, has been providing soldiers with care packages through Hugs of Love: Remember Our Troops, an organization she started out of her kitchen back in August 2007 as a way to remember her son, Capt. Christopher Cash, who died in battle in Iraq in 2004, as well as to honor the scores of local men and women serving in the military right now.

More than 200 care packages and three years later, Kelley is still organizing the effort out of her kitchen through the help of many local volunteers and businesses who have donated to the cause.

Kelley said she was asked last weekend if she could put a package together for Delano. She didn’t hesitate at accepting the project.

“We are sending [the care package] to lift his morale and let him know we care about him and his dear family,” Kelley said in an e-mail sent out asking for donations.

Cynthia Delano, Scott Delano’s mother, said Hugs of Love’s goodwill comes during a tough time for the family. Scott’s younger brother, Steven, died in May after he was involved in a car accident in Scarborough on his way to the Gorham prom with some friends.

Delano said her family has been fortunate with all the support they have received during the last few months.

“This will mean a lot to Scott,” Delano said. “That is for sure. It is absolutely a boost of support for all our military. Scott would think that it was terrific that people here were thinking of him.”

Her son, Delano said, shipped off to Afghanistan back in March and is due to end his deployment next March.

Despite the distance, Delano said, today’s technology has helped her keep in touch with her son, just like hundreds of thousands of other mothers across the country staying in contact with their sons and daughters overseas.

“They are away from us in miles, but they are next to us in spirit,” Delano said. “We are fortunate with today’s technology with e-mail and Skype that we can keep in touch with them.”

Kelley said it was only a matter of hours after an e-mail was sent out asking for donations for Scott Delano that local businesses stepped up with support. However, items are still needed for the box, which Kelley hopes to send out by Aug. 13.

Donations of chewing gum, hard candies, playing cards, notes of cheer, friendship and encouragement, individually wrapped granola bars, Cracker Jack packs or other small items are needed, she said, though large items and magazines cannot be sent.

Kelley said she plans on sending a prayer blanket made by her fellow parishioners at Cornerstone Methodist Church in Saco.

Every package also receives a 4-inch Gund stuffed bear called Manny, as well as a note from Kelley explaining the group and its goal.

Kelley said she knows how important it is for soldiers to know that despite being away from home, people are still thinking of them and keeping them in their thoughts and prayers.

“I know when my Chris was in Iraq, one of the last e-mails I had [from him] was to my pastor, David Calhoun, written with thanks for the many items that were mailed from the West Scarborough United Methodist Church,” Kelley wrote in the e-mail asking for donations for Delano. “He had 120 men and women with him in his unit and each and everyone received an item from that church. It was never forgotten.”