Two prominent organizations have teamed up locally to provide items for families of troops deployed overseas.

Beginning today, the Scotland County Chapter of the American Red Cross will provide a collection site for selected items to be donated to families of servicemen and women stationed overseas. The materials will be collected by the AmeriCorps organization and distributed nationwide. A variety of packaged goods designed to facilitate communication between family members will be accepted at the collection site.

Brittany Pittman, an Americorps volunteer from Scotland County and a rising sophomore at East Carolina University, is in charge of the drive to collect the donated materials.

"We would like to receive items such as pens, pencils, stamps, blank CDs and DVDs, crayons, glue sticks, and other stationary materials," Pittman said. "Disposable cameras, notebook paper, markers and ink pads are sought as well."

A health and physical education major who is working as a volunteer with the Red Cross through the AmeriCorps organization, Pittman cites the importance of donating these items to make communication between family members a little easier.

"These materials allow people to better keep in contact with each other when their loved ones are overseas," she said. "If it was a member of my family, I would want that opportunity."

Scotland County Chapter Executive Director Carol Ann Lentz was pleased with the work Pittman has done with her organization.

"Brittany has been a tremendous help this summer," Lentz said. "This is the first time we have worked with an AmeriCorps volunteer, and we are very glad she was the person they sent."

Pittman worked directly with Red Cross volunteer Chantress McNeill, who echoed Lentz's comments.

"Brittany has been wonderful, both a right hand and a left hand person", she said. "I hope she comes back next year."

To donate to the AmeriCorps / Red Cross collection site, visit the Red Cross offices at 200 Atkinson Street in Laurinburg. Donations will be taken through Aug. 19.

"Please remember that we cannot accept loose items," Pittman said. "These have to be packaged for us to be able to distribute to the families of deployed soldiers."

For more information about the Americorps organization, visit, www.americorps.gov.