Freshman Forum is hosting a charity drive for currently deployed troops this week as part of UA Operation Gratitude.

The organization is collecting items for care packages that will be sent to soldiers overseas.

Andres Mendieta, a freshman majoring in economics and co-chairman of the forum, said the group’s officers had been considering a project like this for several months.

“I think right now, given the political climate in the U.S., we tend to forget some of the people who are fighting for us overseas,” Mendieta said. “We tend to lose ourselves in the midst of everything that is going on, so I think it’s good to remember and give back because we owe the troops a lot of gratitude.”

Chris Schmidt, a freshman civil engineering major, said he initially developed the idea for the project.

“Several of my friends were recently started tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. When they left, I began to think about all of the sacrifices that soldiers must make and I wanted to find a way to help,” Schmidt said.

An example Schmidt gave was a friend who was given a can of spray string as a care package. In an intense situation where he was surrounded by explosives, he used the spray sting to find the position of the trip wires located around him. Ultimately, Schmidt said this simple care package saved his friend’s life.

“I realized that Freshman Forum could organize a simple care package drive and make a positive difference, perhaps even save lives,” Schmidt said.

Freshman Forum representatives will be at a table on the second floor of the Ferguson Center from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. every day this week collecting donations. Certain food items, clothing, toiletries and electronics are needed for the care packages. Financial donations will not be accepted.

A specific list of acceptable items is available at the donation table and at the UA Operation Gratitude Facebook fan page.

Personal letters to deployed troops are also being collected as part of the donation drive. Mendieta said letters should be handwritten instead of typed and should not be sealed in envelopes. Guidelines for writing letters are also available at the donation table and online.

Freshman Forum is a yearlong selective program for first-year students to enhance leadership skills and “promote a culture of campus engagement,” according to the UA website.

Mendieta said his experience in Freshman Forum has helped him adjust to college life.

“College is definitely a lot different from high school and Freshman Forum has helped me become more acclimated with how I need to get things done and the logistics of how to plan things and communicate more effectively,” he said.

Freshman Forum also emphasizes community service through projects such as Operation Gratitude, Schmidt said.

“Community service is a way to increase the social well-being of the campus, the community, and in the case of Operation Gratitude, the world,” Schmidt said. “Community service brings everyone together for the better of humanity and can break down the barriers of race, religion and creed.

“As UA student leaders and members of Freshman Forum, it’s important that we set an example for others and demonstrate the true impact that community service can have.”