|
|
| January 2007
|
INTERNATIONAL NEWS |
|||
|
Beyond the Call of Duty As an officer with the U.S. Army’s 413th Civil Affairs Battalion stationed in Southern Baghdad, Captain Will Perrich, SPA/BA ’98, comes in daily contact with Iraqis who are caught up in the war. His job leading a team of seven U.S. soldiers takes on an average of two missions a day to rural towns where the army helps to rebuild infrastructure damaged in battle, provide aid to government offices, and support Iraqi families. As such, he has witnessed the lives of regular Iraqis and their everyday needs, which often go unmet. Not long after Perrich left behind his job managing a Home Depot in Ohio, and his new wife, Courtney, for Iraq, he decided to go beyond his regular army duties to try and help some of the people he saw. “One day we were talking on the phone (Will's able to call home about once a month) and he said, ‘everyone’s so poor,’” explains Will’s dad, Jerry, via phone. “So we came up with a charity that allows people to donate, tax-free, plain humanitarian aid.” Since HelpIraqiFamilies.org was formed last year, hundreds of pounds of clothing, medical supplies, toiletries, school supplies, and toys for the children have been sent to Iraq. “We’ve sent out more than 100 boxes…clothing, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand soap, etc.,” says Jerry. “Will told me story about how Iraqi housewives loved the scented soaps like you find in hotels that we sent over – he said they had never seen anything like it,” says the elder Perrich, a veteran who served during the Vietnam era. “We send it parcel to the Army in New York and they send it from there. It takes about two to three weeks.” “It costs about $0.65 a pound to send humanitarian aid directly to Will in Southern Baghdad where he and his men distribute it,” adds his mother, Martha Jane (Palmer) Perrich, SPA/BA ’69. ”We have a backlog of about 3,000 lbs ready to ship once we get the funds. We have shipped about 2,000 lbs already.”
In late November, when Will was home on leave, he talked to about 100 political science students at the University of Dayton where his mom works and spoke with students at the local high school about his experiences in Iraq. “I’ve never seen kids so quiet,” says his dad, Jerry. “They were totally absorbed.” The new charity has also got some media attention, including a couple articles in Ohio’s Dayton Daily News and some coverage from local TV stations. “Any size donation is greatly appreciated, and we are a 501c3 charity, so donations are tax deductible,” says Jane. -Melissa Reichley |
|||
In
addition to helping needy families in Iraq, the goodwill the nonprofit
generates directly helps the soldiers. “Will said on three occasions
children have come up to him and told him where bombs were located,”
notes his mom, Jane.