Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 12/11/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Courtesy Geoff Browning Loyola's SGA has organized care packages for U.S. troops in Iraq. In addition to the packages for soldiers, school supplies have also been donated to help support Iraqi school children. Care packages for the students include classroom necessities such as notebooks, pens, pencil and art supplies.

The Student Government Association is working to make the holidays a little happier for those in Iraq, as it pulls together its efforts to mail care packages to soldiers stationed there and school supplies to Iraqi children. Last week, SGA members sold ribbons for two dollars apiece outside Boulder Cafe to raise money for the packages, and made a total of almost $1,400. This is a continuation of a similar effort to send care packages to soldiers undertaken by SGA members two years ago.

The idea to send school supplies as well comes partially in response to a request from Loyola grad and Army First Lieutenant Christopher Johnson. In an e-mail addressed to friends and family members, he wrote, "As you know, my unit and I are currently deployed to Iraq, on the southern outskirts of Baghdad. There are five grade schools in our area of operations, which serve about 50 square miles and 3,000 students. These schools are for rural children whose parents are mostly farmers or herders. The literacy rate for parents and adults in the area is about 15 percent. This is obviously a systemic problem which dates back to the days of Saddam and the Ba'ath Party." Lt. Johnson went on to ask for the aid of local charities and public organizations in gathering school supplies to distribute to the school children.

SGA members also made contact with an aid worker named Surood Mohammed Falih Ahmad in Kirkuk, a province located in northern Iraq. Surood is involved in school rehabilitation efforts, and responded enthusiastically to the project, writing, "It's so nice to find good peoples, wants to helping our children in need, God Bless you. That will be so nice if you can donating winter clothes (coats and shoes), and school supplies, so we can supporting them to continue study at school."

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