2008 Woodie Awards
Supplies to help Iraqi children to be collected
By Kim Dishler
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 3/4/05 Section: News
As an Army Reservist serving in Iraq, elementary education/early childhood professor Robert Snyder witnessed the deplorable conditions Iraqi school children had to face.
In order to help benefit these children, Snyder has organized a drive to collect much-needed school supplies to Iraq. As part of Operation Caring Hands, which is a volunteer run non-profit organization that has been in existence for more than two years, Slippery Rock University students will help Snyder organize the goods and ship them to Iraq.
Kappa Delta Pi, an education honorary, and other individual students have been assigned specific tasks to help make this drive a success. The drive will begin when students return from spring break on March 13. Notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, glue, construction paper and scissors are just some of the goods that will be collected.
Drop off points will be located around campus in the majority of the classroom buildings, the union and dining halls.
Bethany Pane, a student involved in the drive, said there is no set ending date for the drive but the group hopes to have the boxes sent by finals week.
"We want as many (boxes) as we can get," she said. "That's why there's no ending date."
Monetary donations will also be accepted to help cover the cost of shipping the boxes. Donations can be dropped off in room 104 in McKay Education Building.
Kappa Delta Pi is also holding a spaghetti dinner to get the Slippery Rock community involved. The admission charge at the dinner will be used to help pay shipping costs as well.
Operation Caring Hands began when a group of soldiers in Iraq helped rebuild schools during their free time while serving in the war. Its mission is to positively influence Iraqi children towards education and the benefits it can bring to their lives, while fostering goodwill and trust between the United States and Iraq. Within the past year, more than 5,200 Iraqi children have received roughly 50,000 items.
Many Iraqi schools have been looted of furniture and school supplies since the onset of the war.
"I want to be able to help the students over there because it must be hard for them because everything was taken away," Pane said. "I'll do anything I can to help out."
In order to help benefit these children, Snyder has organized a drive to collect much-needed school supplies to Iraq. As part of Operation Caring Hands, which is a volunteer run non-profit organization that has been in existence for more than two years, Slippery Rock University students will help Snyder organize the goods and ship them to Iraq.
Kappa Delta Pi, an education honorary, and other individual students have been assigned specific tasks to help make this drive a success. The drive will begin when students return from spring break on March 13. Notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, glue, construction paper and scissors are just some of the goods that will be collected.
Drop off points will be located around campus in the majority of the classroom buildings, the union and dining halls.
Bethany Pane, a student involved in the drive, said there is no set ending date for the drive but the group hopes to have the boxes sent by finals week.
"We want as many (boxes) as we can get," she said. "That's why there's no ending date."
Monetary donations will also be accepted to help cover the cost of shipping the boxes. Donations can be dropped off in room 104 in McKay Education Building.
Kappa Delta Pi is also holding a spaghetti dinner to get the Slippery Rock community involved. The admission charge at the dinner will be used to help pay shipping costs as well.
Operation Caring Hands began when a group of soldiers in Iraq helped rebuild schools during their free time while serving in the war. Its mission is to positively influence Iraqi children towards education and the benefits it can bring to their lives, while fostering goodwill and trust between the United States and Iraq. Within the past year, more than 5,200 Iraqi children have received roughly 50,000 items.
Many Iraqi schools have been looted of furniture and school supplies since the onset of the war.
"I want to be able to help the students over there because it must be hard for them because everything was taken away," Pane said. "I'll do anything I can to help out."
