MARYSVILLE — A chaplain serving in Iraq sent a letter to Washington state asking for help.
He’d crossed paths with families who’d abandoned their homes in Mosul after violence took over their neighborhoods. They left with what they could carry. Many kids didn’t have warm clothes for the nights when temperatures dropped into the 20s.
The letter was addressed to Lois Gustafson, 73, of Redmond. She and her friends have sent care packages overseas for 15 years. The grassroots project developed into a network of about 100 people and organizations across the United States, including people in Snohomish County.
How it works is, soldiers share what needs they see on base where they are serving and in surrounding communities. Gustafson communicates those needs to her donors. People collect, package and mail the supplies themselves.
They have given fans, heaters and plastic tarps to insulate tents. Fixings for pepperoni pizzas also have been mailed as a surprise for soldiers.
This winter, Gustafson coordinated a clothing drive for refugee children in Iraq. The donations helped more than 2,000 kids.
“The older children know how to stay warm, but the tiny tots don’t, so I always ask for clothes for babies and young children,” she said.
The big aid organizations didn’t come through, the chaplain wrote, but hundreds of Americans did.
People shipped puffy coats and gloves for little hands. The influx of packages bogged down the military mail service, Gustafson said. A church on Long Island in New York sent 120 boxes. One person vacuum-sealed five full-size blankets to fit inside a small box.
The Snohomish County Republican Party recruited help from its members and the community. A woman walked into the party’s headquarters in Marysville with a bag of socks and baby blankets. She said she wasn’t a Republican, but wanted to donate.
Party Chairwoman Debbie Blodgett told her this effort reached beyond political parties.
“It’s about helping people,” she said.
Blodgett wheeled the donations into the post office on a dolly. The stack of boxes was almost as tall as her.
“Snohomish County is always generous. They come through time and time again,” Gustafson said.
This was the second clothing drive this winter. She worried she would tap people out, but that wasn’t the case.
“America loves children. They’ll take care of children no matter where they are,” Gustafson said.
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com
For more information, email Lois Gustafson at lygus@msn.com. Supplies are collected and mailed year round. She said there is an immediate need in Iraq for baby formula.
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