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After making a long journey across the ocean, the medical supplies purchased for SoA's Army Request for Burn Unit & Maternity Ward in Herat have arrived.  When we first learned of the desperate need for basic supplies at vital medical facilities in Herat, Afghanistan, the SoA staff was saddened by the situation and touched by the dedication of the project to Santa Gracia Ramirez, who was killed by a car bomb in June, 2007.  We were spurred into action to do our best to try and provide what we could to change things for the better. 

With the generous support of our donors and a wonderful partnership with Orchard International, we were able to send a huge 40' ocean container filled with over $500,000 worth of items including everything from hospital linens, basic medical supplies such as gauze, to larger equipment purchased specifically for Herat such as portable operating lights and burn care necessities. 

Many of the original contacts for this project including Melinda Lord and LTC Plink Hickman have already been assigned to other locations but were committed enough to remain involved in the project and it's resolution.  Through them, we recently received the following message from Dr. William Chin who is located in the area:

It is a pleasure to be able to assist in this cause. Attached is a file with three pic of the equipment. A conex of clothes also came with it. I am having the clothes go to the HA folks so they can facilitate distributing them.

The med equipment have been reviewed by the medical director, Dr Martin (sp?), and the OB/GYN surgeon, Dr. Kirteby (sp?) this morning. I will arrange for the ANP to deliver them to the Gozara hospital. I told them since I do not have a biomed technician here on Camp Stone, they will have to get their biomed tech to help sort out the electrical issues. They said no problem(!) and are thankful
for the equipment.

I also told them we will take pictures of the equipment on delivery and later in a month or two when they have fixed and placed the equipment in the hospital...

Cheers.  r/ Doc

Basic medical supplies, equipment and clothes for Herat

Filled to the top

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Spirit of America's Anoniblogging Project designed to bring vital information to bloggers in repressed countries was recently cited by the respected, top ten blog site Read Write Web.  RRW gave a nod to national RSS Awareness Day by highlighting some of the ways that RSS feeds have become a "world-changing" tool.  

RRW shares a video explaining what a RSS is and does for those of you not in the know.  In addition, it lists some important contributions of that technology; one of which gives a shout out to our very own BlogSafer site:

RSS lets me, and more than 100 other people subscribed, monitor changes on a wiki I helped the Committee to Protect Bloggers set up called BlogSafer.org, where bloggers living under repressive political regimes can read in six different languages about the current best practices for blogging anonymously.  

Spirit of America continues to support the Anoniblogging project by monitoring and maintaining the BlogSafer site. 

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Greetings Friends and Supporters!

We're going to devote this entire update tothe successful culmination of our Children's Library Book Distribution in Iraq throughour partnership with LIFE for Relief and Development. Here's the story:

LIBRARY BOOKS FOR IRAQI CHILDREN-DEDICATION AND COURAGE PERSEVERES
Some very good news that's been a long time coming. Our Library Books for Iraqi Children was a Project created to stock children's libraries in community centers, hospitals and schools. The US Coalition Provisional Authority, along with Iraq's Ministry of Education, identified over 200 children's book titles as the foundation for the ideal children's library and then our work began in earnest. With your support, we were able to purchase $38,000 worth of brand new books and then spent another $7,500 to get them to Iraq via a 40' ocean container. The books were delivered at the end of 2006 to LIFE's warehouse in Baghdad, but then had to be stored indefinitely, due to sectarian violence. We further mentioned this in an August 28th email update, not sure of the outcome yet, but wanting to keep you in the loop. Now, at long last, we can report back to you a wonderful ending, mission really accomplished.

Providing all these wonderful books is a gift that will continue to "give" to many children for a very long time. The titles include everything from Cat in the Hat, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Peter and the Wolf, Black Beauty to traditional books written in Arabic; Omar is Lost, Karma's Bunny, Who Hid the Eid Lamb? and many more.

Here's what our contact at LIFE for Relief and Development had to say this week:

"Dear Michele and Everyone at Spirit of America,

We want to thank you for donating books for 9 libraries that were developed in Iraqi schools. This project took 19 months to complete due to the dangerous situation in Iraq, but we are pleased to tell you that the project was completed successfully. The school principals, teachers and especially the students are all very happy and satisfied with their new books. Reading books to children to encourage them to develop their reading skills is so important throughout the world, especially in areas where children are caught up in war. Reading is a wonderful outlet that encourages children to think creatively about the story and not what is happening around them. I wish we could open more libraries in Iraqi schools in the future to give all Iraqi children the opportunity to read books from a library. Many thanks."

And here are just some of the many pictures she sent, they are priceless, enjoy!

Only an outdoor classroom available for these wee ones, but that obviously won't stop them!

That's our Spirit of America sign in the background!

All ages, all circumstances will benefit from your generosity.

Though this project has taken a while to come to fruition, it is a wonderful testament to how cooperation and patience work together to bring extraordinary results.

All the best,

Spirit of America
www.spiritofamerica.net

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Though the SoA team works hard to bring every project to a successful completion as quickly as possible (i.e. supplies purchased, received, distributed and updates posted), even with our best efforts some projects take many months to complete.  The Library Books for Iraqi Children  has been one of those projects. 

Originally begun in the Fall of 2004, the effort to bring books to Iraqi children has been hampered by purchasing challenges, shipping delays, a search for in-country support and security issues stemming from sectarian violence.  Early on, Spirit of America staff realized that we needed a partner organization with personnel stationed in Iraq to help facilitate the receipt and distribution of the books.  We are very fortunate that LIFE for Relief and Development was recommended to us by personnel then serving with the US State Dept.  LIFE has proved to be an invaluable ally, and their commitment to the success of this outreach effort hasn't wavered even with the months of delay and the tragic and untimely death of one of LIFE's Baghdad Director of Programs in October of 2006. We are especially grateful to LIFE team members Dr. Adil Al-Nuaimi and Vicki Robb for their dedication and support. 

For all the challenges and delays, the Library Books program has remained one of our favorites. It encapsulates many of the difficulties and the joys that we experience every day in getting the needed supplies from here in the US to our requestors and on to those who need them most.  In the end, seeing the photos of smiling children enjoying books they may never have had access to except for this project makes it all worthwhile.  We appreciate the patience of those who donated directly to the project!  While it make take longer than we might like sometimes, the SoA team does everything we can to see each project through and bring you confirmation of just how much of a difference your contributions can make. 

We hope you enjoy these photos of the distribution of over 1,000 books to 9 different schools throughout Iraq.  The Iraqi Ministry of Education identified the schools and, in most cases, specifically created a "library" to house the new books.  Regardless, of whether the library consists of a single shelf, a dedicated room with study desks or an outside classroom, it is evident from these pictures that the books will be well-loved.

Books on display at the Gifted Student School in Karkh

Iraqi Girls at the Talented Student School in Karkh 

SoA Sign at the Talented Student School In Karkh, Iraq 
Baghdad Secondary School-1 of 9 schools receiving donated books

 

Boys at the Baghdad Secondary School studying hard

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A few days ago we posted a blog with updates on several different requests that were fulfilled using your generous contributions to SoA's Unrestricted Fund.  We're happy to share that the shipments of supplies including shoes and socks, soccer balls, school supplies and hygiene kits have started to arrive as evidenced by the messages of gratitude posted below from our military contacts.

Army Sergeant James Baker serving in Afghanistan has received 165 pairs of children's sneakers and 2 cases of socks to distribute to need children in the area.  He had previously detailed the pervasive lack of adequate footwear which as you can imagine is hard on little feet in the extreme cold and searing heat that the region experiences. 

Sergeant Baker wrote to let us know that the shoes and socks had arrived:  "I just received your packages today.  I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for you help and support.  The unit that is replacing us is coming real soon.  When they get here, we are going to set up a humanitarian aid drop in one of the local villages in our area of operation...  I can't wait to hand out these goods to the villagers.  Thank you so much for your upport.  I will keep you updated and send you pictures for the H.A. drop.  Thanks again."  We will share those photos and updates on the distribution as soon as we receive them.

We also received confirmation from Navy Lieutenant Commander Jon Lindsay that he is starting to receive the supplies sent from SoA which include 200 each of soccer balls, school supplies and hygiene kits; " I just received 6 boxes of the personal hygiene kits.  Thank you!  We will put them to use and provide you with feedback (stories, photos) on how it goes.  Thank you so much for you efforts and generosity; it definitely does make a difference in the communities we work in, as every little bit helps to improve conditions and change perceptions about US-Iraqi relations."

In an earlier message, LCDR Lindsay communicated how items that seem simple and generic like books and school supplies can have a big impact:

"We now have some communities we are working closely with, providing some needed civic infrastructure in the forms of school refurbishments, power delivery, and literacy programs.  We are also working closely with our partner Iraqi security forces to put them in the lead in a lot of these civic events, and we're starting to see communities change their outlook toward the police.  We are trying to change the perception from the Saddam-era "brute squad" that Iraqis think of when they think police and more of the friendly neighborhood "thin blue line." 

It was amazing in one of our literacy programs where this one Iraqi woman almost broke out in tears saying she only knew the police to come and take away her men and never imagined they could help the community.  The school programs are thus great for children as well as adults.  I tell you that story just to point out that these sorts of humanitarian missions have effects far beyond the immediate needs they meet."

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Greetings Friends and Supporters!

In this email:

*Spirit of America responds to Army 1LT Mitchum's efforts to help local orphanage in Iraq
*Soldier's Angels referrals update-multiple requests-we're making lots of progress!!
*Marines Certificate of Appreciation to Spirit of America

ARMY 1LT MITCHUM REACHING OUT TO HELP IRAQI ORPHANS
We first heard about Army 1Lt Chris Mitchum's efforts from his Dad, who browsed the internet trying to find just the right non profit to help. According to him, Spirit of America was "the exact type of organization that could assist with this request". We're anxious to help him bring joy to these needy children at the Al-Menar Orphanage in Baghdad. It is home to 126 children without parents, from toddlers to teens.

1LT Christopher Mitchum's email request:

"Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated by the Al-Menar Orphanage. The pictures provided don't show how truly desperate these 126 children need our help. In West Rashid, Baghdad, there is a complete lack of essential services. The community only averages one to two hours of electricity a day. They do not have clean drinking water or a functioning sewage system and there are no trash services. The majority of these children are orphans because there parents were killed due to sectarian violence. If you are able to send clothing. I will make sure that you receive pictures of the children receiving them."

Iraqi Children in Al-Menar Orphanage

Army 1LT Christopher Mitchum first heard about the Al-Menar orphanage while attending the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) which is the most basic from of local government in Iraq. He attends this meeting bi-weekly to hear the local representatives address the essential needs of the community. The council emphasized the Al-Menar orphanage's dire need for essential items such as clothing and shoes along with small toys.

We've ordered 126 pairs of shoes and 2 cases of socks. We're waiting for approval from 1LT Mitchum on clothing we picked out for purchase. Getting his ok on the clothing is another step in our fulfillment process as it is very important to verify the clothing is appropriate for the area in which it will be distributed. Spirit of America would like to make support of this orphanage a long term effort and with your help, will do just that! Click here to support 1LT Mitchum's request to support the needy children at the Al-Menar Orphanage.

SOLDIERS ANGELS-REFERRALS - lots of progress. We've spent over $10,000 fulfilling their recent requests. Here's what's in the queue; some goods are already arriving.

Army Sergeant James Baker in Afghanistan of "Operation Keep Em Warm!"excerpts from his email:

"Every day we roll outside the wire we see kids and adults in need of the basic necessities. We've been seeing this for 12 months now. But today was especially troubling for myself and one of my soldiers. The temperature was a low of 18 and a high 25. That's not including the wind chill factor. During our short convoy of only a few miles we saw at least four children with open toed sandals and no socks on standing in the snow waving as we passed. Later we saw two other young kids with socks and no shoes running in the snow to catch up to our convoy...

If you have any means of helping out, please do so. We are asking for donations of used or new sneakers, boots and socks of all sizes. These kids really do need whatever you can afford to send."

Last month Spirit of America sent 165 pairs of sneakers and 2 cases of socks in various sizes.

Army CW2 David Hooker in Iraq writes in late February:

"I am responsible for a Entry Control Point for local Iraqis. We have 100's of Iraqi's coming in for any kind of help. What I was hoping is if anyone could send baby and kids clothes and stuffed animals. The Iraqi children are the ones really suffering. A lot of them have only one set of clothes and they have either lost their mother or father or both parents during the war. We really enjoy helping them out. It is always nice to put a smile on a kids face Any help would be a blessing."

In an email last month he wrote:

"Thank you for your response. The area I work in, we have a lot of people coming in from different areas and they have nothing. Whatever you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Also the schools in the local villages are pretty much starting over. I have talked with one of the headmasters at the school and he told me that the students can only get one notebook tablet and 2 pencils for the whole year. I had a hard time imagining that. He said that is all the money that they could get. So clothes, stuffed animals, medical supplies and most definitely soccer balls would be great."

Here's what's on the way, 250 soccer balls, 250 beanie babies and 250 backpacks stuffed with school supplies. This will surely bring some smiles to these children!

MARINES CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FROM CAMP AL TAQQADUM, IRAQ
Last month Marine 1stLt Matt Thompson sent us a Certificate of Appreciation from the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines based out of Camp Al Taqqadum, Iraq. It reads"Your steadfast and unfailing support to the Marine Corps has provided a significant contribution to our mission accomplishment by sustaining our mission and showing Americans support the Iraqi People in this difficult time through your gracious contributions."

With donations to our Marines Request Fund, Spirit of America provided1,000 school kits and soccer balls that were distributed to children in the area. Our walls are getting quite full as our collection of certificates continues to expand, thanks to you!

As always, we appreciate your continued support which allows us to keep responding to requests and to do it quickly. We had 9 new requests just last month, mostly from Afghanistan. You'll be hearing more about those in the coming months.

All the best,

The Spirit of America Team
www.spiritofamerica.net

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Marine 1stLt Matt Thompson sent us a Letter of Appreciation from the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines based out of Camp Al Taqqadum, Iraq.  With donations to our Marines Request Fund, Spirit of America provided 1,000 school kits and soccer balls that were distributed to children in the area.

Letter of Appreciation from 1stLt Matt Thompson

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Greetings Friends and Supporters!

In this email:

*Marine 1stLt Matt Thompson bringing smiles to the children in Kabani
*SGM in Afghanistan winds down Afghan Farmers/Operation Spicy Devil Project
*Quick Updates on various projects

MARINES DISTRIBUTING GIFTS TO KIDS IN ANBAR PROVINCE
You might remember 1stLt Matt Thompson from 2006 when he contacted Spirit of America requesting needed medical equipment and supplies to help the people in a remote area of Iraq near the Syrian border. We were delighted when he contacted us again late last year during his second deployment, this time to ask for warm blankets, school kits and soccer balls. He was heading out on a CME (Combined Medical Engagement) in conjunction with the Iraqi Army and Police and felt it was very beneficial to have something to hand out when they rolled in to town. He shared with us these pictures from an earlier event to distribute the supplies, particularly soccer balls to the children of Kabani, Iraq. We hope you enjoy them.

1sLt Thompson shared with us that"the kids and the people of Kabani loved the soccer balls. They went from having none to over 100. They even tried to play soccer with multiple balls!"

Bringing a smile to kids in Kabani

He also wrote of the "Iraqi Working Party" they organized to help unload the school supplies:

"We used the kids to unload the school supplies. We called it our 'Iraqi Working Party.' The kids were very excited to help unload and to see what they would be getting. It was hard to keep them from just grabbing stuff from the boxes and running off. They were so excited to have paper, pencils, pencil boxes, backpacks and so much more. We took the supplies to the Head master of the school to allow him to distribute them. It is important for us to allow the Iraqis to manage their institutions and although it is obvious that the supplies came from America and we let them know that these items came from the generous support of the American public-we still need to try and put an 'Iraqi Face' on it."

Iraqi Working Party unloading supplies in Anbar

Marine 1stLt Matt Thompson with Imams and kids in Anbar

1stLt Thompson's deployment ends soon and he'll be returning home to a very special "bundle of joy". . . a son born while he's been serving in Iraq! Can you imagine that homecoming?

AFGHAN FARMERS/OPERATION SPICY DEVIL PROJECT WINDS DOWN
Our outreach effort to the Afghan Farmers at the request of the SGM is at an end. Our staff has enjoyed this project immensely, and we are proud of the work that we were able to do, thanks to the goodness of our donors. With time running out to spend the remaining funds, we had the SGM purchase the needed supplies locally in Afghanistan. That's the final $12,000 towards clothing, kerosene, firewood and more tools. In his final email the SGM writes:

"With your help, we were able to locally purchase truckloads of assistance for the farmers. It really helped them a lot. Thanks for your wisdom in finding a way to maximize our humanitarian assistance out here. The farmers were very grateful, and so are we."

SGM & Farmers Unloading Supplies

Box loads of prized tools for Afghan Farmers

The farmers now have all of the tools and supplies. What a wonderful legacy the SGM is leaving from his tour in Afghanistan!

QUICK UPDATES:
Afghan Torture Victims - Our deepest thanks to those who supported our efforts to help the torture victims we spoke about in our last email. We committed $5k from our unrestricted fund and raised $5k, enough to provide 2 Afghan men with the highly specialized surgery they so desperately need to live a normal life. Spirit of America will be sending a letter this week to those who donated with an update on what will happen next.

Army Major Jorge Cintronolivieri's Projectseeking support for central Balad - we've really made a dent in his "wish list" and have ordered 500 school kits, 500 soccer balls and 500 hygiene kits. We hope to do even more and are grateful to our donors for that very good start!

There's a lot cooking right now, so we'll be back in a couple of weeks to share new projects and hopefully more pictures and updates on what's happening. Thanks to all for your ongoing support!

All the Best,

The Spirit of America Team
www.spiritofamerica.net

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Our outreach effort to the Afghan Farmers at the request of the SGM and project Operation Spicy Devil is coming to an end.  Our staff has enjoyed this project immensely, and we are proud of the work that we were able to do thanks to the goodness of our donors. 

Though the SGM had wanted another 40,000 saffron bulbs, we were unable to source such a large quantity as they are out of season.  So, in the interest of time and efficiency, the SGM purchased over $12,000 worth of supplies locally in Afghanistan including clothing, kerosene, firewood and more tools.  The farmers now have all of the tools and supplies.  What a wonderful legacy the SGM if leaving from his tour in Afghanistan! 

 
SGM & Farmers Unloading Supplies

The SGM wrote a note of thanks:

"With your help, we were able to local purchase truckloads of assistance for the farmers. It really helped them a lot. Thanks for your wisdom in finding a way to maximize our humanitarian assistance out here. The farmers were very grateful, and so are we."

Box loads of supplies for Operation Spicy Devil

More Clothing for the Farmers

Clothing for Afghan Farmers

Oil for Afghan Farmers & Families

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Greetings friends and supporters!

In this email:

*CURE International asks our help to treat torture victims in Afghanistan
*Army Major Cintronolivieri in Central Iraq has a long "wish list"
*Soldier's Angels sending referrals to Spirit of America

SPIRIT OF AMERICA PARTNERS WITH CURE INTERNATIONAL TO HELP ASSIST AFGHAN TORTURE VICTIMS
Several years ago we helped provide artificial hands for a group of men in Iraq who had their hands amputated for dealing in foreign currency. A crippling punishment ordered by Saddam Hussein. Another like request has come to our attention, only this time it's from Afghanistan. Here's the story:

As you may know, American personnel rely heavily on Afghan men to act as translators, truck drivers and for their help traversing the mountainous terrain. For these brave Afghans, their alliance with the American's comes at a great risk and many are then targeted by the Taliban. The punishment for their cooperation is often torture and horrible disfigurement, which usually comes in the form of having their ears severed. CURE International, whose mission is to transform the lives of the disabled in developing countries, is trying to help these torture victims by providing the complex surgeries required to reconstruct and repair the damage inflicted upon them. CURE International operates a teaching hospital/family health clinic in Kabul serving more than 6,500 patients each month. They were approached by the US military in Afghanistan as one of the only in-country resources that could perform the complicated procedures that require multiple surgeries over 6 months at a cost of $5,000 each. CURE International has identified 50 young men in need and has asked us to partner with them. Spirit of America will commit $5,000 from our Unrestricted Fund to cover the cost of surgery for one of these Afghan men who have given so much to help the US effort in Afghanistan. We have also created a special project page, "Cure Cares for Taliban Torture Victim's" to raise additional funds to help these Afghan men reclaim hope and dignity. The more money raised, the more surgeries that can be performed. If you would like to support this worthwhile effort, please visit the project page here: CURE Cares for Taliban Torture Victims.

ARMY MAJOR CINTRONOLIVIERI SEEKS SUPPORT FOR CENTRAL IRAQ
Army Civil Affairs Major Jorge Cintronolivieri arrived in Balad, Iraq at the end of 2007 and quickly identified supplies that could have an impact on their units ability to help the local community. The Major's "wish list" includes supplies to support the education, health and well-being of Iraqis in this region where political and economic stability has been a struggle for a very long time.

The Major's "wish list" is long, but with your support, completely doable! Here's what he needs:

. 1,000 Hygiene Kits
. 1,000 Pairs of Children Sandals
. 1,000 Children School Supply Boxes which includes pencils, glue, scissors and more
. 100 Teacher Supply Kits
. 100 School Sports Program Kits which include different balls, pumps, Frisbees, a volley ball net, jump ropes and the list goes on.

Join us in helping Major Cintronolivieri and his team in their efforts to reach out to these people in need by supporting his project: Army Major Seeks Support for Central Iraq.

SOLDIER'S ANGELS CONTINUES TO SUPPORT SPIRIT OF AMERICA'S MISSION
Soldier's Angels recently invited Spirit of America to attend their First Annual Executive Dinner in Pasadena, California. Soldier's Angels is the organization that sends letters and care packages to our soldiers and Marines deployed overseas. They are an incredible group of generous, committed vounteers. They truly are "Angels". What an inspiring, emotional evening, to hear first-hand the stories of those Heroes returning, to meet and offer condolences to the parents attending whose children, also Heroes, did not come home. . .it was a very moving experience.

Soldiers Angels continues to be our "Angel", by passing on to us the requests (5 in just a week!) they receive from Soldiers and Marines who are in a position to help the local people. Please consider becoming a Soldier's Angel by adopting a soldier, it takes just a few minutes per week to write a short note and it makes such a difference to those who are far from home and loved ones. Here's their web address: www.soldiersangels.org.

Quick Updates:
Afghan Farmers- we're unable to get the saffron bulbs to Afghanistan in time for the next planting. At SGM Mack's request the remaining $12,000 will be spent on blankets, scarves, mittens, heavy coats along with fuel to heat homes and tools to repair storm damage and prepare fields for planting. That's a total of $57,700 raised and $57,800 spent on the Afghan Farmers/Operation Spicy Devil Project. He'll send his final update next month as his deployment ends and he will finally be heading home to the US.

Army Captain Kevin Wynes in Iraq - the shipping on the original cookware sets was less than expected and we were able to send 9 additional 12 piece cookware sets. Hope to have pictures soon.

We'll have more on our latest referrals and new requests in upcoming emails. With rotations going on now in Iraq and Afghanistan, it looks like it's going to be a busy year!

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Thanks to your generosity, our support of Operation Spicy Devil continues.  As the Sergeant Major wraps up his tour in Afghanistan, he will make one final outreach to the farmers and their families who have so touched his heart.  SoA is funding the purchase of over $12,000 worth of supplies including blankets, scarves, mittens, heavy coats along with fuel to heat homes and tools to repair storm damage and prepare fields for planting. 

The SGM has promised to provide a final updates on these additional items and we will share those with you as soon as we have them. 

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In December we told you about how Spirit of America was able to help Marines in Al Anbar, Iraq who wanted to give special Marines ceremonial swords ("Mameluke swords") to the tribal sheikhs that had been cooperating with them to bring peace and stability to Iraq’s most violent province.

Marines General John Allen, Deputy Commanding General of U.S. forces in Western Iraq, emailed us back then about the swords saying:

"We have made significant inroads into our relationships with the tribes and sheikhs of the province. We've been considering means by which we can further cement these relationships, and thought the idea of presenting the Marine officer's traditional sidearm, the Mameluke sword, a symbolic method of conveying a warrior's bond to desert leaders. Your role in this was, again, pivotal to our being able to cement a variety of relationships among the sheikhs. We are deeply grateful.”

You can read more background here.

The Marines recently presented the Mameluke swords. The Mameluke sword is  the prized emblem of Marine officers and a reminder of the cooperation between Arab forces and expeditionary Marines in the fight against Barbary Pirates in 1805.  Here is another photo of the swords being presented.

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Thanks to your generous donations to our project Help Army Captain Kevin Wynes Bring Christmas to Iraq, Christian families in Baghdad will receive a belated Holiday present.  In Captain Wynes original request, he shared with us that "[Christian ] families probably for the most part the worst victims of all the violence that occurs here on a daily basis.   Freedom of religion is a relatively unknown concept to the people of Iraq, and being a Christian living in a Muslim country automatically draws negative attention.

Through discussions with these Iraqi families, Captain Wynes identified a supply that was as much needed as it is difficult to find on the local market:  cookware.  At the Captain's recommendation, Spirit of America purchased 33 KitchenAid 12 piece cookware sets which include all sizes of pots, pans and skillets.  Many of the sets have already been received and a distribution even is scheduled for the next few weeks.  Captain Wynes will provide photos as they are available and said "thanks very much" for all the support.  

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The War Widows project is a collaboration between SoA and Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Linda Holloway to bring relief to Iraqi women and children affected by the war.  In response to LTC Holloway's request, SoA shipped 250 blankets, hygiene kits, linen and towel sets to supply this often overlooked population with vital necessities. 

War Widows-Having Fun

As a result of contributions to SoA's unrestricted fund, we were able to quickly purchase and ship the items in time for LTC Holloway to distribute prior to her rotation out of the country.  Her message below describes how much the project benefitted the women and how much they encouraged LTC Holloway herself.  She says it better than we ever could so read on:

Your donations helped many, many widows and children

"I would like to take this opportunity thank all the donors who
contributed to both of my projects "Operation Back Pack" and the "Weeping (War) Widows Project". I was exceedingly excited the amount of enthusiasm the American people showed to support both grassroots programs considering the daily challenges people are facing back home...

The support that was given this project is a sure testament of the American people really caring about what is happening to the women and children of Iraq. I hope that the public will be able to see through the many pictures I have taken the joy and the happiness the gifts they provided brought to women and children in need..."

War Widows Supplies in Hand

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Greetings friends and supporters. What a year 2007 has turned out to be! From saffron bulbs in Afghanistan to swords, wheelchairs and more in Iraq, Spirit of America continues with its diversity of support. Our flexibility to adapt quickly to the requests from the "boots on the ground", whatever they happen to be, helps to fulfill our mission. . . to help our deployed men and women assist people in need. Your generosity, especially this past year, continues to make this all possible! Thank you so much.

In this email:

*Army Unit goes extra mile for wheelchairs for Iraqi's
*Civil Affairs Captain Wynes reaches out to Christian Families in Baghdad
*Air Force Technical Sergeant Martin and the Good Neighbors Program
*Quick Updates on Afghan Farm Tools and War Widows in Iraq

ARMY UNIT IN IRAQ RAISES PRIVATE MONEY TO BUY WHEELCHAIRS
In October we got an email asking for help with a shipment of wheelchairs to US Army Corps of Engineers Major Todd Lazorski. An Army unit in Iraq raised a substantial amount of private funds to purchase 44 brand new wheelchairs for the Iraqi people. Unfortunately, shipping the items proved challenging and the wheelchairs, all 88 boxes of them as the footrests came separately, ended up in an office in Virginia. The champion of this request came to Spirit of America in desperation, having tried other sources and having possession of these boxes for some time. Shipping 44 wheelchairs can be costly, but we had to answer the call and not let the charitable efforts of these men and women fall short. Another very good opportunity to use our unrestricted funds. The wheelchairs have arrived in Iraq and we anxiously await some pictures.

CIVIL AFFAIRS CAPTAIN REACHES OUT TO CHRISTIAN FAMILIES
Captain Kevin Wynes, stationed near Baghdad, had an unusual request, a first for us. Here are excerpts from his email:

"I am now back in action in my normal area of operations. I have been evaluating what is the best "gift" for the Christian families that we can provide, and I believe that a set of Pots and Pans for their kitchens would be the best use of the funds, if this is possible. I believe something that they could cook with would be extremely beneficial. Just about every house that I have been into has poor quality cooking utensils.

I understand that this is costly and significantly more difficult and expensive to ship, so please tell me if this is not possible, I will completely understand. I am attaching a link to a combination that I feel would meet the criteria. It does not have to be this specific set, but something along these lines I feel would be an exceptional gift and well utilized over here. Thank you so much. Thanks

Since timing was critical for his request, this was put on the fast track to make sure he received the items as soon as possible. Captain Wynes might be changing locations soon, but the cookware is already on the way allowing him to distribute it and leave an "impression" of good will behind for those soldiers coming in to take his place.

AIR FORCE TECHNICAL SERGEANT MARTIN IS A GOOD NEIGHBOR
Technical Sergeant Sherry Martin and her team make visits to the children in nearby Baghdad every Friday and are trying to bring some good into their difficult lives. Here's her email requesting help:

"I'm trying to get soccer balls and basketballs for children who are here in Iraq. The children play in the dirt and their sandals are worn out. They play in the middle of the road and don't seem to mind the gunfire in the background. No child should have to grow up with this sound in their ear. If you can please help me I would appreciate as I do not have the resources or money to get this project off the ground. I have 100 children I would love to give you.please help."

TSgt Martin (second from left) and her team. Read more about their story here: Good Neighbor's Program.

Children can be very resourceful in finding things to play with, even in dire circumstances, but isn't it great to just picture what joy it will bring these children (and TSgt Martin and her team!) to have their very own ball and pump. It sounds like so little, but it will mean a lot and will be a reality soon, with an order placed last week for 100 each soccer balls and basketballs (plus pumps). We hope for pictures soon.

QUICK UPDATES:

Afghan Farmers/Operation Spicy Devil - We've heard from SGM Mack, the farm tools have finally arrived. SGM Mack tells us:
"They are very good quality tools, and will be prized by the farmers. Usually the tools they get are not very good.

And here's an excerpt of his email last week:
"We will most likely deliver the great tools you sent to the farmers in this new area sometime in February. I can't tell you how much joy it has brought the Soldiers to be able to help the farmers and their families. I am sure it has helped the success of our mission a great deal. It has certainly made life better for the farmers.

Thanks to you all at SoA and all your contributors for making that possible."

The SGM has requested another 40,000 saffron bulbs and SoA is working with local and international vendors to determine if we can purchase them in time for the next planting season. We will let you know how this works out as soon as we can. We'll be spending all leftover monies at SGM's direction and winding down the Afghan Farmers/Operation Spicy Devil Project in the next 30 days, as his deployment nears an end. Working with the SGM has been a wonderful, fulfilling experience for all of us here and we're grateful to have had the resources (thanks to you!) to play a part in his efforts.

War Widows - LTC Holloway has received the hygiene kits, blankets, sheets and towels. Here are excerpts of her recent email:
"I hope you enjoy the pictures the project was a huge success. Thanks for all your hard work for making this effort possible."

"These are pictures of packing of supplies for the War Widows and the supplies that were distributed to the war widows.The women were really blessed. Thanks."

LTC Holloway with supplies sent by Spirit of America

We're busy finalizing details on a couple of new projects. We'll be back in a couple of weeks to tell you all about them and provide more "quick" updates on our shipments at sea and more.

All the best,

Spirit of America
www.spiritofamerica.net

PS: As we move forward this year, you might notice that we refer to some requestors by their first names only. We have been asked on several occasions to remove this information and more. Always mindful that our requestors are in harms way, we immediately oblige, no questions asked. We hope you understand.

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