OPERATION PENCIL 2004
This is an archived page. Chris' tour of duty is over and Operation Pencil is no longer active.
Chris Loverro, a graduate of U. C. Berkeley's International and Area Studies Program, was recently called up from the Army Reserves to go to Iraq. In addition to his regular soldier duties, he has begun a humanitarian project to help the refugee children of Mosul. Here's what he writes:
I have a project that I really need some help with. Our team is going to help care for some refugees. We are also going to help some schools that are in bad shape. The schools around here are in dire need of school supplies. I did an assessment on some of the schools to find out what they needed. After a while my entire assessment for what they needed was one word: "Everything!"
Now here is the good part. The whole reason they are letting me organize this is that there will be no bureaucracy or red tape involved. You send the items directly to me and my team and I will personally deliver the much needed items directly to the refugee camp and schools. There is no set deadline but we need the items as soon as possible. Stuff usually takes 2-3 weeks to get to me. Once I receive it we distribute it within a week.
Any and all help with this project will be greatly appreciated. If you can help, I will be checking my email to answer any questions you have about the project and how it is evolving.
3/29/04: Operation Pencil is in full swing. We have been passing out the much needed supplies to schools during our patrols. The bulk of supplies will be donated to equip the schools we are building. We are in the process of hiring local contractors to do the construction. It is really a multi-faceted approach. The US Army and the Coalition Provincial Authority are providing the money, the local Iraqi contractors are doing the building, and your donations from back home are helping to provide the basic supplies needed for teaching and learning. As I have said before, your heartfelt support with what we are doing is not just providing a helping hand, but it is in fact making you A PART of the project!
5/18/04: The two projects I started months ago - Operations Pencil and Blanket - have been successful and have had a definite positive impact on the refugees and school children here in Mosul. We helped over 2,000 refugees and countless schools with your donations. I want to thank everyone again for all the time, energy, effort, and money you put into supporting these projects. I have enclosed more photos of the projects. I wish you could see the smiles of the kids you have helped in person. I guess the photos will have to do.
So here is some good news for me. I will be leaving Iraq in about two months. Because of this I have to put my projects to a close and ask that you stop sending school supplies and humanitarian aid for the refugees. If you already have stuff to send or are in the midst of organizing something make sure you send it off within the next week. Stuff usually takes three weeks to get to me and then I have to organize a patrol to deliver it. Time is running out.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. Chris
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Loverro christopher.michael.loverro@us.army.mil
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