News Article

By: BILL JONES/Staff Writer
Source: The Greeneville Sun
05-21-2005

Valerie Schaffner, a professional engineer, who is working in Tallil, Iraq, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, recently sent an electronic mail message to The Greeneville Sun offering thanks to local residents who sent school supplies to Iraq for distribution to children there.

Schaffner has been working to coordinate construction of new schools to replace dirt-floored "mud schools" that were literally built of mud and reeds.

On Feb. 11, The Greeneville Sun had an article about the Mud School program that included an appeal from Schaffner for donations of school supplies for the children who attend the schools the Army Corps of Engineers is building.

"I thought you might want to see some photos of one school turnover," Schaffner wrote. "Six new schools have been turned over, and the rest will be completed and turned over quickly. We saved enough money in negotiating to build two additional schools for a total of 40 new schools that will replace the existing schools made of mud and reed."

She sent photos showing Iraqi children with school supplies and Girl Scout cookies, many of which were donated by Greeneville and Greene County residents and churches.

"I wanted to send thanks to those who sent donations," Schaffner wrote. "Maybe you can give a huge thanks to Janet Watson in Afton and especially the Kingsley Avenue Free Will Baptist Church in Greeneville for their huge and loving donations of school supplies, toys, candies, etc."

Donors Comment

Janet Watson, a resident of Veldt Lane in Afton, said in a telephone interview that she gathered together a box of school supplies in February after seeing the article in which Schaffner asked for donations of school supplies.

"I tried to send some of everything she had on the list," Watson said, noting that she shipped a box of supplies to Iraq in February, but had not known until she was contacted by a Sun reporter that the supplies reached their intended destination.

"I felt as though it (donating school supplies) as something I could do to help, in a small way, the situation over there," Watson said. "I was happy to do it."

Rev. Doyle Pruett, pastor of the Kingsley Avenue Free Will Baptist Church, said in another telephone interview that after the Feb. 11 article concerning the Mud School program, the approximately 100 members of his church decided to collect and donate school supplies to the school children of Iraq.

"Our church is small, but our people are very generous," Rev. Pruett said. "We had a little drive, and our members donated about 200 pounds of schools supplies and candy."

Rev. Pruett said the items donated by the members of his church included everything from pencils and paper to calculators and candy.

"We shipped 14 boxes to Iraq in February and March," Rev. Pruett said. "I sent them two or three at a time as things came into us. It was really a job, but it was a joy, too." Rev. Pruett said his church had received a card and a photo from the Corps of Engineers’ Schaffner offering thanks for the donations.

Schaffner also noted in an electronic mail message that she had received donated school supplies from Tremble Elementary School in Tremble, Tenn.

Story Copyright to The Greeneville Sun