BEAUMONT, Texas—The piles of fabric scraps scattered across Colleen LaSalle’s living room floor are a jumble of colors and threads.

The modest pieces of inexpensive material might not seem impressive at first glance, but for United States sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, a gesture as small as receiving one of her handmade do-rags for their helmets can provide a big boost.

“It takes only an hour or so to make, but it’s important for them to know that someone cares about them and is praying that they return home safely,” said LaSalle, who includes a hand-written note in each package.

LaSalle began making cotton welder’s caps for her husband, Delma, a refinery worker. The caps kept him cool in hot weather, wicking away sweat. Friends and coworkers asked for some, so she started giving them away. When her son Seth’s Taekwondo teacher asked if she could make him a do-rag, she told him to bring her an old one and she’d tear it apart and figure it out. The do-rags proved so popular that when the war in Iraq began, LaSalle thought she’d make some for young people in the military.

“Do-rags keep the helmet from rubbing their skin, they soak up the sweat and the long back protects their necks from the sun,” LaSalle said. Although the origin of the do-rag depends on which expert you ask, servicemen in Vietnam used muslin bandages in much the same way. These days, LaSalle has friends and church members helping her, from donating fabric to cutting and sewing.

LaSalle, 51, of LaBelle, doesn’t have a child serving in the war, but her sister, Brenda Bourque, 48, of Nederland does.

In addition to helping with the do-rags, Bourque copes with the deployment to Kuwait of her son, Derek Bourque, through her involvement with Navy for Moms, a support and networking organization for mothers (and families) of sailors.

“The Web site had just started when I ran across it. When your baby is gone, you want as much information as you can about what he is doing,” Bourque said. “I was member No. 175 when I joined. There are over 4,000 now.”

Most of the mothers who join have sons and daughters on their way to boot camp and they are filled with questions, Bourque said. “They ask, ’When do we get letters?’ or ’Where do we stay for graduation?’ Because I had already gone to boot camp graduation, I answered them. Now, with 4,000 moms as members, there are a few whose kids have been in the Navy several years who can provide answers. They are not all Navy moms. Some (children) are in the Army or Marines.”

This past month, Bourque and several other Navy moms she has grown close to went to New York in hopes of getting noticed on the Today Show. They took a large Navy for Moms banner, carried photos of their sailors and dressed alike in T-shirts and ball caps, which caught the attention of co-host Meredith Vieira.

“We were hoping they would talk to us on camera. They did separate us out. They had a little corral for us to stand in. They didn’t talk to us on camera, but Meredith came and spent a few minutes talking with us,” Bourque said.

A video clip of their moment of fame is posted on the Navy for Moms Web site.