Decas Elementary School fourth graders are doing their part to help put smiles on the faces of the men and women who are serving overseas this year.

Art teacher Ellen Osborn was approached by Wareham resident Stacy Voight about making greeting cards for troop through the Cape Cod Cares for the troops organization.

"I just wanted to help get it together as fast as I could," said Voight.

While the goal was to get the cards to the troops in time for Christmas, the cards aren't meant to be Christmas cards, but greetings from home.

"Once a year we do something for the troops," Osborn says.

She went on to say that the kids enjoy it, and are very patriotic and love to help out in whatever way they're able.

"The kids are so caring and heartfelt," she said. "We talk about it and say 'that's real life.'"

Most of the kids know somebody in the community who has been deployed overseas according to Osborn, and they look up to soldiers.

"They feel like the troops are protecting them," Osborn explained. "They really want to feel secure in their country."

The goal of the project is simple: "We try to cheer them up," Osborn says.