A little background...
When my husband (a chaplain) arrived for his tour in Afghanistan he had heard of the villages in the mountains that were so poor and had minimal warm clothes, let alone shoes to protect them from the cold and the snow. Our church was having a community event for kids, and they also used it as a warm clothing and blanket drive for the people for Afghanistan. We were able to send 2600 lbs. (46 large boxes) to two villages and an orphanage. It was such a unique opportunity to reach out to the poor people there, and also was a encouraging experience for the Soldiers who delivered the clothes.
Here you will find a sampling of agencies that are actively at work bringing aid to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. By listing these agencies, Operation We Are Here is not endorsing these agencies. We simply want to make you aware of some wonderful opportunities of bringing hope to the people of these countries.
____________________________________________________________________
Afghan Children's Songbook Project - Revitalizing the children's music of Afghanistan
The Afghan Children’s Songbook Project strives to revitalize the children’s music of Afghanistan which was almost completely eradicated by the war and oppression that has afflicted Afghanistan for over 30 years. Fourteen thousand copies of the songbook, Qu Qu Qu Barg-e-Chinaar: Children’s Songs from Afghanistan have been distributed to pre-schools, elementary schools and orphanages across Afghanistan. The songbook includes a CD and a cassette tape. It has been used both to introduce children to the vibrant music of Afghanistan and also as a basic literacy text. The songbook is printed with bright colorful illustrations and easy-to-read text, making it fun for children to listen to the CD and read along.
Afghans for Afghans - Sending blankets, sweaters, vests, hats, mittens, socks...
Afghans for Afghans is a humanitarian and educational people-to-people project that sends hand-knit and crocheted blankets and sweaters, vests, hats, mittens, and socks to the beleaguered people of Afghanistan.
Your gift of a handmade blanket or garment will bring comfort and warmth to Afghan women, men, and children who continue to suffer from oppression, war, hunger, poverty, and sickness. Your lovingly made gifts will send a message of concern and hope to our fellow humans on the other side of the globe. Your participation is important.
Airborne Angel Cadets - Sending toys and school supplies to be distributed by U.S. military personnel
Many, many items are requested by our kind-hearted soldiers specifically to give to the kids and adults in Iraq and Afghanistan. Backpacks, toys, candy, school supplies, shoes, socks, soccer balls.
Beanies for Baghdad - Sending toys and school supplies to be distributed by U.S. military personnel
Typically items needed include: Beanie Babies, stuffed animals, school supplies, frisbees, balls, sporting equipment in general, small cars (hot wheels, matchbox and etc.), treats (individually wrapped).
The troops look forward to receiving and distributing the items you ship creating long lasting friendships and sharing smiles with children where many live in extreme poverty. Your support is very much appreciated and the requests from the troops remains strong.
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan - Education, Awareness
Our goals are to advance education and educational opportunities for Afghan women and their families; and to educate and increase the understanding of Canadians about human rights in Afghanistan.
Donor funded projects are implemented and managed in partnership with Afghan non-profit organizations. These projects include a number of community schools, village libraries, an orphanage, as well as teacher training, literacy, English and computer classes.
The projects are funded mainly from individual donations from Canadians and 100% of funds donated go to women-centered projects in Afghanistan.
Central Asia Institute - Building Schools
Our mission is to empower communities of Central Asia through literacy and education, especially for girls, promote peace through education and convey the importance of these activities globally.
Davy Weaver Memorial Project - Support for the children of Afghanistan
Our mission is:
- to provide direct aid to the children of Afghanistan for the basic necessities of life
- to help promote a positive image of the men & women in the military serving the United States and our Allies in their efforts to assist the people of Afghanistan in becoming independent of Taliban & Al Qaida Influence
- to show the goodwill of the American people and by doing so provide a safer operating environment for those who serve
- to keep our Soldiers safer one child, one unit, at a time
Feeding the Nations - Food, medicine, vitamins, planting seed, etc.
Feeding The Nations® is a non-profit International Christian humanitarian relief organization with supporting international offices. Feeding The Nations is a division of Provident® Ministries with headquarters in South Bend, Indiana. The mission of Feeding The Nations is to deliver food, medicine, vitamins, planting seed and other necessities to families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty, or other natural disasters.
HEMEfund Worldwide - Project Vocational Schools for Afghan Women
HEMEfund Worldwide, formerly known as Project Help Afghanistan, is a 501(c)3, tax-exempt, non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to improving communities around the world by providing assistance in the areas of housing, education, medical and employment. Founded in 2009 by William Seo, during a year long tour to Afghanistan, the organization implements the core value of H.E.M.E.
Project Help Afghanistan is a start-up non-profit organization dedicated to help alleviate poverty among widows and children in Afghanistan by implementing the core value of H.E.M.E. by facilitating literacy, practical skills training, and other services.
- Housing(H)
- Education(E)
- Medical(M)
- Employment(E)
Heme is the main part of blood that carries 4 oxygen molecules to every part of our body which is critical for survival; likewise H.E.M.E. is the essential part of survival for Afghanistan.
Lamia Afghan Foundation - Basic necessities of life, assist and facilitate opportunities for self sufficiency through education, skills training and jobs.
After 41 years of service, Lt. General (Ret.) John Bradley, USAFR Commander, and his wife, Jan Bradley formed The Lamia Afghan Foundation, in order to provide hope, compassion and aid to the people of Afghanistan.
Their mission is to work in a cooperative fashion to provide not only the basic necessities of life but to assist and facilitate opportunities for self sufficiency through education, skills training and jobs. Their secondary mission is to support all men and women in uniform working in remote locations in Afghanistan with limited access to military exchanges to receive personal hygiene items, comfort items and other amenities.
Mercy Corps - Helps build businesses, improve health, education, microloans, mobile veterinary services
Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.
Mercy Corps has been working alongside the indomitable Afghan people for more than 20 years, helping them build their businesses, improve their health, educate their children and participate more fully in civil society. This boy radiates the enthusiasm of participants at a field-based coaching session for community workers. They’re learning how to improve village life by involving local people in the decisions that affect them. Other Mercy Corps programs in Afghanistan provide microloans to hardworking entrepreneurs (more than two-thirds of whom are women) and mobile veterinary services to help farmers improve the health of their animals.
Operation Care - Basic necessities, teacher kits
Operation Care is a non-profit, non-denominational, private charitable organization comprised of military and civilian volunteers dedicated to the welfare of the people of Afghanistan and, especially, to the children. Based at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Operation Care accepts donations of basic necessities including school supplies, shoes, clothing, blankets, hygiene items, nutritional supplements and similar items from a multitude of sources, and distributes humanitarian aid throughout the Afghanistan theater of operations where it is most needed. In addition, Operation Care supports US and Coalition Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen stationed at forward operating bases in remote areas by providing them with personal hygene, comfort items, and other basic amenities which cannot be readily obtained in such isolated locations. With the generous support of the American people, Operation Care works to ensure the future of a free and democratic Afghanistan, and to provide a secure, peaceful, and nurturing environment for its children.
Open Doors - Serves persecuted Christians worldwide
Open Doors works in the world's most oppressive countries, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ's light in these dark places.
Operation Crayon - Sends school supplies, hygiene items, clothing
Your gift will be sent to a proud military unit who has adopted schools in, Iraq and/or Afghanistan.You can help by sending these desperately needed items: children’s clothing, undergarments, socks, new or gently used shoes, school supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks, writing tablets, workbooks, folders, crayons, etc.), candy, gum, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Project created by the AdoptaPlatoon™.
Operation Dreamseed - Planting dreamseeds of freedom through education
We nurture long-term solutions and initiatives that help overcome the challenges in under-developed countries plagued by persistent conflict. Operating within the values of freedom, democracy, education, and self-betterment, Operation Dreamseed will develop and support education initiatives in the schools and education systems of underdeveloped countries in order to foster and facilitate the access to and process of learning.
Has a downloadable supplies kit information packet and addresses of where to send donated items.
Operation International Children - Sends school supply kids and other necessities
A program that enables Americans to send school supply kits and other necessities to Iraqi children. Today, we serve not only Iraq's children, but children in other nations served by American troops, such as Afghanistan and Djibouti.
Operation Pencil - More about Afghanistan and how to pray for this country
Operation Pencil is a humanitarian assistance program created by the Soldiers of 16th Military Police Brigade, and carried on by the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of 193rd Military Police Battalion, Task Group Trident, and the 46th Military Police Command to meet the supply needs for local Afghan school children and teachers. Its mission is to provide school supplies for both students and teachers of Dimadon (aka Bagram Family Village) via the Egyptian Hospital on Bagram Air Field in order to help facilitate the learning that will one day change the face and the future of Afghanistan. Operation Pencil gathers its supplies from the loving donations of the American people who wish to see Afghanistan and its children become a stronger and peaceful country.
This page was developed to allow supporters of Operation Pencil to ask questions like, "what can I send?" and "where can I send the supplies?" This will also be the place where we post photos of our activities and keep everyone up-to-date on upcoming missions and events. Thank you so much for your support!
Operation: Read It Again! - Afghan fables published for Afghan children
One dollar can buy one book and make an Afghan child's dream come true. The books will be printed in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. They will be written in the native languages of Afghanistan (Pashto and Dari). Once the books are printed they are packed up and delivered by U.S.A. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. The books are mostly delivered in the Panjshir area. All the books are native Afghan fables, wich are provided by Hoopoe Books, an imprint of The Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (www.ishk.net). For about 95% of the kids this will be they're first book that they have ever owned.
Operation Show Our Love
Our mission is to improve the morale of our military personnel who are overseas fighting for our freedom and to let them know that those of us at home care about them and support them! We do this by collecting and shipping donations of snacks and toiletries to allow our troops to have a 'part of home' in a foreign land, and humanitarian items to distribute to the local population to build relationships that will help now as well as in the future.
Operation World - More about Afghanistan and how to pray for this country
The primary purpose of Operation World is PRAYER.
Peace Cord TM Bracelet (Spirit of America) - Creates artisan jobs for Afghan women
Peace Cord™ creates artisan jobs for hundreds of Afghan women and helps U.S. troops deliver grassroots humanitarian assistance, creating a more secure environment for all.
Made from authentic materials used by our soldiers in the field, Peace Cord™ bracelets are hand woven in Afghanistan. 100% of the proceeds support grassroots programs in rural Afghanistan.
Prayer Central (Afghan Prayer Patrol) - Praying for the troops, leaders and the people of Afghanistan
We serve the Prince of Peace and our intercession should seek to inject peace into conflict anywhere we find it. Military might, rockets and technology will never bring true peace. Our war is not against flesh and blood, but there are spiritual opponents that must be brought down. That can only be done, by the collective prayers and obedience of God’s people ushering in the power of God. Join us in Patrolling over Afghanistan
Project Artemis - Business skills training program that aims to build entrepreneurial skills of Afghan businesswomen
Included in the project are two weeks of business and entrepreneurial decision-making training; mentorship by women entrepreneurs; site visits to U.S. businesses; and follow up support and business coaching online.
Thunderbird is uniquely positioned to provide the type of training that has made Project Artemis successful. As the world’s top-ranked international business school, Thunderbird has the knowledge, the capacity, and the global network to provide business training in even the world’s most challenging environments. In keeping with our mission, to educate global leaders who create sustainable prosperity worldwide, programs like Project Artemis prove that business and education can be powerful tools for building peace and prosperity.
Project Artemis helps educate the best and brightest of women. Fellows move forward with their individual accomplishments that make, not only a personal economic impact, but a contribution to the greater society.
Soldiers' Angels - Soldier humanitarian missions in local towns and villages
"May No Soldier Go Unloved," encapsulates the motivation behind Soldiers' Angels. Through special projects, dedicated teams and individuals supporting our troops in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, we make a visible difference in the lives of our service members and their families. Our nearly 200,000 volunteers assist veterans, wounded and deployed personnel and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways.
Say Our Soldiers: Kids In-theater Deserve Support
We have had many requests from deployed American service members asking for items to help them in their humanitarian missions to local towns and villages. Many of them are parents or have young brothers and sisters, and their hearts go out to local children who have so much less than many other children--they often give up their own goodies and snacks to be able to share with the kids they see every day on their patrols. In addition, humanitarian efforts help our troops on the ground build relationships that improve living conditions, ultimately increasing opportunities for peace and saving the lives of local civilians and American military personnel.
Spirit of America - School and medical supplies, hand tools, watches, water barrels, farming tools, clothing, sporting goods and toys, etc. in response to needs identified by American personnel
Spirit of America's mission is to help Americans serving abroad assist local people in need. We meet needs identified by American military and civilian personnel for items that will help local people.
Our objectives are to:
- Increase the reach, scale and impact of the informal humanitarian activities that take place on the front lines in troubled regions.
- Contribute charitable goods that can have a positive, practical and timely impact in the local communities where American personnel are involved.
Spirit of America - Sewing machines
Our troops say that sewing machines help bring stability to Afghan communities. It may be hard to connect a Soldier and a sewing machine to diplomacy and peace. But when our troops give an Afghan woman a sewing machine it has a ripple effect. It helps her provide for her family, which allows her children to go to school instead of work or fight. And the progress and goodwill it creates helps our troops be more successful and safer.
Help our troops and help Afghan women by contributing to this project.
Stuffed Animals for Emergencies
SAFE is currently assisting AdoptaPlatoon in their Operation Crayon program by donating small stuffed animals to U.S. deployed troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to be used on humanitarian missions.
The Afghanistan Orphanage Project (TAO Project) - Raising funds to build an orphanage
The TAO Project is dedicated to providing the orphaned and homeless children of Afghanistan with shelter, food, clothing, health services, education, and love. The TAO Project will achieve this mission statement by raising the funds to build an orphanage in the Kahlakhan district, near Kabul. The orphanage will be home to over 1,000 children. Another focus of the TAO Project is to bring Afghanistan children to the United States for life-saving surgeries, critically needed medical aid and rehabilitation.
The Hugs Project - Send homemade flat bears for the children of Iraq/Afghanistan
This website has a pattern to create homemade stitched flat bears for the Soldier to distribute to the children of Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Khaled Hosseini Foundation - Relief and shelter for families, econonomic opportunities for women, education for children
The Khaled Hosseini Foundation provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan to help alleviate suffering and build healthy communities. We make these grants with the hope that our gifts will make a meaningful and enduring difference. The Foundation will give priority to programs and projects providing relief and shelter for families, economic opportunities for women, and education for children.
Troops Need You - Tailored responses to local needs
Our mission is to deliver the resources the troops need to win over the local people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Major Egland saw first hand in Iraq and Afghanistan that the troops are well equipped to engage in combat, but need the American people to equip them to engage communities. Soldiers and Marines have proven that providing tailored responses to local needs--whether medical supplies, water filtration systems or enough sports equipment to start a soccer league--builds trust and makes the people more willing to stand up, so our troops can stand down and come home--victorious.
Trust in Education - Education, health care, reconstruction and economic programs
We, a group of neighbors, began in 2003 by raising funds to build a school in Lalander, Afghanistan. The school opened in the Spring of 2005.
As support grew, so did out commitment. We are now providing education, health care, reconstruction and economic programs to several Afghan villages, including Lalander. The generous contributions of Stop Hunger Now and Reverend Billy Olsen and his congregation (located in North Carolina) enabled us to provide food and clothing to refugee camps in Kabul. We are also assisting Aschiana, a nonprofit NGO located in Kabul, by finding sponsors for street children. Sponsors provide $20 a month to a street child, which enables that child to leave the streets long enough to attend school.
We are constantly searching for ways to assist Afghans and their communities. As you read through the website, particularly the newsletters, you will discover that our search has taken us in several directions. Why? We learned early on that if you want to know what “they” need, ask them. Together we identify and prioritize their needs. Then we set about addressing as many as we can. It’s the best way to go toward the ultimate goal, which is, helping them free themselves from their dependence upon others.
War Kids Relief - US/Afghan Junior Investor Program
War Kids Relief, a program of the nonprofit Children’s Culture Connection, is a nonpolitical peace-building organization that creates facilities, programs and expertise enabling children traumatically affected by war to realize new possibilities for their lives. As an integral part of this mission, War Kids Relief provides opportunities for young people to play a leadership role in the pursuit of peace. (See also A Soldier's March for Peace)
The goal of this particular program is to implement a joint peace-building and educational program in American middle and high schools that gives US students the opportunity to build positive relationships with their Afghan peers by teaching one another about their lives. This groundbreaking program will also give US students the opportunity to co-invest in the vocational training of their Afghan peers. US students will learn from their Afghan friends as they receive training to develop sustainable, market-based solutions in order to strengthen their local economies and help them avoid recruitment into insurgent groups as a means to an end.
World Vision - Health Services, Water and Sanitation
World Vision is working to construct and rehabilitate water systems and improve the domestic water supply for 1,750 families. Irrigation rehabilitation and other health-related hygiene and sanitation programs are included.
Several projects operate to address the need for adequate health services when chronic illnesses such as tuberculosis are widespread. Currently, maternal and children’s health services are inadequate, and prenatal and postnatal care is nonexistent despite women giving birth to an average of seven children in a lifetime. To help address these needs, World Vision is constructing health clinics to provide care for needy families. Efforts also support mobile clinics that provide emergency health-care services, offer community-based monitoring, and distribute basic emergency health kits.
Through its many programs, World Vision is working to transform the lives of people living in Afghanistan, giving them hope for the future.
____________________________________________________________________
Airborne Angel Cadets - Sending toys and school supplies to be distributed by U.S. military personnel
Many, many items are requested by our kind-hearted soldiers specifically to give to the kids and adults in Iraq and Afghanistan. Backpacks, toys, candy, school supplies, shoes, socks, soccer balls.
Beanies for Baghdad - Sending toys and school supplies to be distributed by U.S. military personnel
Typically items needed include: Beanie Babies, stuffed animals, school supplies, frisbees, balls, sporting equipment in general, small cars (hot wheels, matchbox and etc.), treats (individually wrapped).
The troops look forward to receiving and distributing the items you ship creating long lasting friendships and sharing smiles with children where many live in extreme poverty. Your support is very much appreciated and the requests from the troops remains strong.
Doctors Without Borders - Medical attention
One of the greatest challenges facing independent humanitarian action today is that of reaching civilians caught in war and armed conflicts. Nowhere is this more frustratingly illustrated than in Iraq, where MSF (DWB) has struggled to gain a meaningful foothold since the US-led invasion of 2003. Various military and political actors have sought to use and abuse humanitarian action for political purposes and in doing so have made humanitarian organizations a target for violent attacks. This has undermined the ability of MSF (DWB), and other neutral humanitarian organizations to address critical needs of the civilian population.
Friends of Kurdistan Foundation - Micro-credit programs, public health, rural education, pen pal programs
Through micro-credit programs for women, public health information for women & children, rural education initiatives, and pen pal programs we aim to help those who quest for a better life. We are always looking for professionals in all fields to work with us in re-building human capacity in Kurdistan following decades of war.
If you want to put your education and experience to work contact us today.
Laptops for Literacy - One laptop per child to promote literacy in schools
HM1 Charlotte G. Ward is stationed in Iraq on her 3rd tour of duty as a Navy Corpsman. She has taken the lead on a project called "Laptops for Literacy." "We are working with the Marines on joint activities bringing educational resources to the local populations. We are rebuilding a school and working on literacy issues. We see the difference the availability of education has on improving lives and bringing stability and understanding to these areas." HM1 Charlotte Ward
Soldiers' Angels is proud to assist her in achieving her goals for one laptop per child.
Mercy Corps - Emergency humanitarian supplies, assistance to most vulnerable (disabilities, children), education
Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.
Ongoing violence has forced millions of Iraqis to leave their homes and communities. Mercy Corps is providing emergency humanitarian supplies such as drinking water, blankets, cooking stoves and kerosene. We’re also helping those most vulnerable, particularly people with disabilities and families with school-age children. We’re helping thousands of Iraqi children keep learning, restoring a measure of normalcy amid extremely difficult conditions and offering a path toward greater opportunity.
Operation Blossom - Help support an Iraqi refugee relocated in America by buying a handbag
Blossom Bags are handmade by an Iraqi refugee, who gave his/her all to help our troops fighting for the freedom of their country. As a result this person became a target and was forced to flee their homeland. This person has now been relocated to find a life in America. Buying a bag gives this person a job and an opportunity to earn a living so that he/she may provide for their family. Buy a bag and help a family blossom.
Operation Crayon - Sends school supplies, hygiene items, clothing
Your gift will be sent to a proud military unit who has adopted schools in, Iraq and/or Afghanistan.You can help by sending these desperately needed items: children’s clothing, undergarments, socks, new or gently used shoes, school supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks, writing tablets, workbooks, folders, crayons, etc.), candy, gum, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Project created by the AdoptaPlatoon™.
Open Doors - Serves persecuted Christians worldwide
Open Doors works in the world's most oppressive countries, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ's light in these dark places.
Operation Dreamseed - Planting dreamseeds of freedom through education
We nurture long-term solutions and initiatives that help overcome the challenges in under-developed countries plagued by persistent conflict. Operating within the values of freedom, democracy, education, and self-betterment, Operation Dreamseed will develop and support education initiatives in the schools and education systems of underdeveloped countries in order to foster and facilitate the access to and process of learning.
Has a downloadable supplies kit information packet and addresses of where to send donated items.
Operation Give - Projects include baseball, soccer, health, clean teeth, toys, school supplies, medical supplies
The most unique aspect of Operation Give is that it not only supplies humanitarian aid to civilians in combat zones, but it also provides US military personnel who are deployed in those areas with the opportunity to connect with the civilians. Through our connections and contacts in the military, we desire to provide them with the resources needed to accomplish their mission of winning the hearts and minds of the people. This mission is just as important to us as providing much needed supplies and resources for the children of the countries where the military are stationed.
The mission of Operation Give is to bring hope and happiness to struggling people the world over by helping them to gain access. Through servicing the requests of caring soldiers and civilians, we are working towards bringing disconnected economies into the global community, that all may experience the benefits and the peace that comes from economic connectivity and world-wide trade. As a bastion of freedom we, through kind and generous donations will provide the U.S. soldiers and indigenous civilians with the resources they need. Our focus will be greatest on children in these areas.
Operation International Children - Sends school supply kids and other necessities
A program that enables Americans to send school supply kits and other necessities to Iraqi children. Today, we serve not only Iraq's children, but children in other nations served by American troops, such as Afghanistan and Djibouti.
Operation Iraqi Friendship - Sends school supply kids, baby supplies, Soldier care packages
Operation Iraqi Friendship takes pride in helping United States soldiers get basic school supplies, toys and clothing to children in Iraq. Our goal is to not only help improve life for children in Iraq, but to also help foster better relations between US soldiers and the people of Iraq so we can work together to build a better and free Iraq where children can have dreams and hopes of a promising future and our soldiers will be safer as they work to make that happen.
Operation Puppy Love - Toy stuffed puppy dog drive
These toys of comfort, much like our therapy dogs, are making extraordinary differences. Toys will go to hospitalized Iraqi children, sadly victims of war. They will also be distributed by soldiers to the children on the street or in schools. Help us send contributions of a very different kind of pet therapy to many children in a war torn country who desperately need something to snuggle and hold onto.
Operation World - More about Iraq and how to pray for this country
The primary purpose of Operation World is PRAYER.
Prayer Central (Baghdad Prayer Patrol) - Praying for the troops, leaders and the people of Iraq
What if Baghdad were a city of peace? What if the impossible happened and it became a beacon of hope for the region? What if we prayed, and God answered, what could happen? Did you know that Baghdad was once called Madinat Al-Salam, city of peace? Maybe that’s its God given destiny, maybe if we agree with God, we can change history.
Save the Children - Supporting the psychosocial care of children in Iraq
After a two-year hiatus in Iraq, Save the Children has returned and since the end of 2008, built up a presence in northern Iraq. Working with a partner — Mercy Corps — the organization has set up an office in the north of Iraq to support the psychosocial care of children in the districts of Sulaimaniyah and Kalar (Sulaimaniyah governorate) and Khanaqueen (Diyala governorate).
In June 2009, Save the Children also began planning to expand programmatic activities into southern parts of Iraq, including Basra, Thi-qar, Muthanna and Missan governorates. In the space of only a few months, Save the Children has set up programs that are producing early results.
Soldiers' Angels - Soldier humanitarian missions in local towns and villages
"May No Soldier Go Unloved," encapsulates the motivation behind Soldiers' Angels. Through special projects, dedicated teams and individuals supporting our troops in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, we make a visible difference in the lives of our service members and their families. Our nearly 200,000 volunteers assist veterans, wounded and deployed personnel and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways.
Say Our Soldiers: Kids In-theater Deserve Support
We have had many requests from deployed American service members asking for items to help them in their humanitarian missions to local towns and villages. Many of them are parents or have young brothers and sisters, and their hearts go out to local children who have so much less than many other children--they often give up their own goodies and snacks to be able to share with the kids they see every day on their patrols. In addition, humanitarian efforts help our troops on the ground build relationships that improve living conditions, ultimately increasing opportunities for peace and saving the lives of local civilians and American military personnel.
Spirit of America - School and medical supplies, sewing machines, hand tools, watches, water barrels, farming tools, clothing, sporting goods and toys, etc. in response to needs identified by American personnel
Spirit of America's mission is to help Americans serving abroad assist local people in need. We meet needs identified by American military and civilian personnel for items that will help local people.
Our objectives are to:
- Increase the reach, scale and impact of the informal humanitarian activities that take place on the front lines in troubled regions.
- Contribute charitable goods that can have a positive, practical and timely impact in the local communities where American personnel are involved.
Stuffed Animals for Emergencies
SAFE is currently assisting AdoptaPlatoon in their Operation Crayon program by donating small stuffed animals to U.S. deployed troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to be used on humanitarian missions.
TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Iraq - Bereavement and emotional support to war survivors, empowerment to widows to increase their economic independence
Grief stemming from traumatic death transcends political boundaries and military objectives. Those killed in Iraq, whether American or Iraqi, leave behind family members, tribal relatives, and friends who love them dearly and miss them terribly. The lives of the survivors must be rebuilt around an unexpected and unwanted void. The pain of their grief is the same, because it is the result of loving so much. TAPS understands the pain of losing a loved one in conflict, but also acknowledges the complex barriers faced by those in Iraq. Beyond needing emotional support, widows face the struggle of providing financially for their families. TAPS programs will bring both comfort and healing, as well as providing training and skills necessary to economically sustain their families.
TAPS has staff in Washington, DC and now in Baghdad, Iraq who are lovingly bringing comfort to those who have suffered a loss and empower them through economic opportunities. Through TAPS’ proven business model, programs and documented processes, Iraqi and American families will build a foundation for healing and the establishment of a stable society.
TAPS’ programs in Iraq seek to address both the social and emotional needs of those traumatized by war and local hostilities. TAPS will provide bereavement and emotional support to war survivors. TAPS will also help to seed microbusinesses across Iraq’s provinces to train disadvantaged Iraqi widows on a set of skills that will empower them politically and increase their economic independence.
The Hope of Iraq (Operation Military Pride) - Send items for Iraqi children to deployed military personnel
The Hope of Iraq was initiated based on a special request from a deployed military service member. He's requesting to give our help to the hope and future of Iraq, some much needed help. Won't you please help in sending what you can?
The Hugs Project - Send homemade flat bears for the children of Iraq/Afghanistan
This website has a pattern to create homemade stitched flat bears for the Soldier to distribute to the children of Afghanistan and Iraq.
The List Project - Resettle Iraqi Allies
The List Project is a U.S. non-profit, founded in 2007 with the belief that the United States Government has a clear and urgent moral obligation to resettle to safety Iraqis who are imperiled due to their affiliation with the United States of America. We are the first comprehensive organizational effort to honor the sacrifice of these Iraqis.
We've launched this site for Americans who want to help and the Iraqis who need it. Looking for a place to begin? Educate yourself, Get involved, Support the Project, Stay informed. If you are an Iraqi who helped the U.S. or you represent one who needs help, email us immediately: refugees@thelistproject.org
Troops Need You - Tailored responses to local needs
Our mission is to deliver the resources the troops need to win over the local people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Major Egland saw first hand in Iraq and Afghanistan that the troops are well equipped to engage in combat, but need the American people to equip them to engage communities. Soldiers and Marines have proven that providing tailored responses to local needs--whether medical supplies, water filtration systems or enough sports equipment to start a soccer league--builds trust and makes the people more willing to stand up, so our troops can stand down and come home--victorious.
War Kids Relief - US/Iraq Young Ambassador Program
War Kids Relief, a program of the nonprofit Children’s Culture Connection, is a nonpolitical peace-building organization that creates facilities, programs and expertise enabling children traumatically affected by war to realize new possibilities for their lives. As an integral part of this mission, War Kids Relief provides opportunities for young people to play a leadership role in the pursuit of peace. (See also A Soldier's March for Peace)
The goal of this particular program is to foster peace, respect and friendship among US and Iraqi teens through a multi-faceted cultural exchange experience; to create marketable evidence of the process and results for the American and international communities to see; to inspire participating kids to embrace their leadership roles beyond completion of the program and reach even larger audiences; to create a teaching template that can be used in middle and high schools nationwide.
Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids - Provides wheelchairs for Iraqi children with disabilities
Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids helps Iraqi children with disabilities by providing high quality pediatric wheelchairs, each sponsored by individual and corporate donors. Sponsors receive a picture of the children as they are placed in their wheelchair for the first time! This is a unique opportunity, as families around the world have the opportunity to directly impact the life of an Iraqi family with a real need in a big way.
This incredible gift literally changes the life of the child as well as the family. Children with disabilities discover a new level of mobility not previously experienced. The family no longer carries the heavy child from place to place. And the heart of the community is touched, resulting in long-lasting friendships!
World Vision - Medical Supplies, Relief Items, School Rehabilitation, Water and Sanitation
World Vision has worked in the Middle East for 28 years addressing the needs from its offices in Beirut and Jerusalem (West Bank Gaza). During the 1991 Gulf War, World Vision provided emergency supplies to Iraqis inside and outside of Iraq through local partners. Relief efforts continued in Iraq from the World Vision office in Jordan.
World Vision’s focus has been school rehabilitation, water and sanitation projects, provision of medical supplies, relief items, and registration of internally displaced people (IDPs).
With frequent attacks on coalition forces, Iraqis and humanitarian organizations make Iraq a difficult place to run an operation. The recent trend toward kidnapping expatriates is a disturbing development. Staff security is a top priority to World Vision.
A key strategy of World Vision from the outset of Iraq focused on building relationships with people across a wide spectrum of society. In doing so, World Vision created a network of positive relationships and built an encouraging reputation amongst Iraqis’ in Mosul an Al Rutbah. These relationships provide a degree of protection.
Necessary security precautions and a remote management model in Jordan allow World Vision to continue meeting urgent humanitarian needs as identified by the community and the United Nation. Existing programs focus on children, provide assistance in the areas of water and sanitation, primary health care, and school rehabilitation, and support income generation activities. World Vision has implemented these programs in the communities of al Rutbah, Mosul, and Ninewa. Presently, World Vision will not seek sponsorship funding for Iraq, given the eventual wealth of the country and the allowed maximum 5-10 year program limit for non-government and humanitarian organizations.
____________________________________________________________________
Saved by Her Enemy:
An Iraqi woman's journey from the heart of war to the heartland ofAmerica Authors: Don Teague, Rafraf Barrak Copyright @ 2010
For her entire life, Rafraf, a devout Muslim, had been told that Americans were the enemy. Her understanding of the world, of her place in it, and of the United States had been steeped in the culture of Iraq under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Yet, in the midst of insurgents attempting to kidnap and kill her, she found herself on the receiving end of lifesaving help from those she considered her enemies.Rafraf suddenly finds herself living with a Christian family in the Bible Belt of America. Nothing had prepared her for this new reality—the life of a college student in a vastly foreign culture, in a community as far from her expectations as she could have imagined, and in a family that opens their hearts to enfold her.
Saved by Her Enemy is a riveting journey of two very different people from opposite sides of the world, of faith, of experience, and of expectations. The dramatic intersection of their lives and their journey together is an inspiration to those who have ever felt there was more to life than the world they knew. A young Iraqi woman, an American war correspondent, and a true tale of friendship, faith, and family against the backdrop of war and the collision of cultures.
This is a story of a very unlikely friendship—between American war correspondent Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak, an Iraqi college girl who won a job as a translator for NBC during the early months of violence in the wake of the American invasion of Iraq. While covering a story together, the two were nearly killed by a bomb, an experience that created a bond between them that led them down a path neither could have imagined. What follows is a story of transformation, as Rafraf—from a devout Muslim family—becomes the target of terrorist threats to kidnap and murder her. Don and his fellow correspondents mobilize to help save her life and suddenly Rafraf finds herself on the receiving end of an offer for safety and a new life in the United States. Dramatically transplanted from the streets of Iraq to the Bible Belt of middle America, Rafraf finds everything that she knew—or thought she knew—about herself, her values, her world, even faith and family, turned upside down. Meanwhile, Don; his wife, Kiki; and their children discover they’ve embarked on an adventure with Rafraf that reshapes their lives. This captivating story inspires us all to join Don and Rafraf in discovering that there is far more to life than the world we know.
Copyright Benita Koeman 2008 - 2012
resources
Military supporters, churches
Military chaplains
Organizations that support
Resources for
Encouragement
Military life
Free downloads for kids
Humanitarian aid:
Agencies assisting the people of Afghanistan and Iraq
_____________________________________________________________________
