Operation JMU provides aid to U.S. troops, Iraqis

Abby Sullivan / staff photographer Sophomore Brian Shukie signs a banner on the commons Tuesday. The banner will be sent to U.S. troops in Iraq. Students can sign the banner until tomorrow.

By collecting donations and supplies, Operation JMU is giving students and Harrisonburg residents the opportunity to give humanitarian aid to U.S. soldiers as well as the Iraqi people.

"I saw that people were going around campus and just talking about the war," said sophomore Justin Gray, one of the founders of Operation JMU. "We wanted to see if we can go beyond talking and do something because there is a big difference between talking and doing."

Unitl tomorrow, on the commons from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and at the College Center from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., students can drop off money and items they have collected like clothing, blankets, backpacks, medical supplies and school supplies.

Taking a proactive response to the war seemed natural to Operation JMU members. "My friend is out to sea, and I felt we needed to do something," senior Ruby Manoharan said. "There were all these protests that kept ripping everyone apart, but we are trying to do something positive and help the people."

Gray said he and sophomore Andrea Troncoso, the other founder of Operation JMU, have been working on the idea of sending aid to the troops and the Iraqi people since the day the war began.

According to Operation JMU's fliers, this project is for students who "want to help but aren't sure where to start." Troncoso said, "We are telling people to put money where their mouth is. We aren't taking a stance on the war — some of us are pro-war, some moderate and some are anti-war, but we can all still help the troops."

Manoharan said, "We have a lot of great blessings and the troops are going through a lot right now … I think that it doesn't matter what stance you are about the war, you can still help support and appreciate the troops."

Gray said he is pleased with the response so far. He said that he received a lot of responses from dorms, clubs, fraternities and sororities.

The Harrisonburg community also is getting involved in Operation JMU. According to Operation JMU's Web site, http://orgs.jmu.edu/mi/signup.htm, American Heritage, Artful Dodger, Staples: The Office Superstore, Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart Supercenter have been helpful in this project.

According to Gray, donations will be split 50/50 between the U.S. troops and the Iraqi people.

He said the donations for the troops will be sent through Operation USO Care Package Program.

According to www.uso.org, USO is not part of the government but is endorsed by the U.S. president. They try to "to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to uniformed military personnel" giving them a "touch of home," according to the Web site.

The donations for the Iraqi people will be through two organizations — Stop Hunger Now and Ox Fam America, both chosen because they are good organizations with a low overhead, Gray said.

According to www.stophungernow.org, the Stop Hunger Now organization "is a charitable, non-profit interntional relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food and other life-saving aid to crisis areas across the globe."

Ox Fam America, according to www.oxfamamerica.org, also is a non-profit international organization that is "dedicated to creating lasting solutions to hunger, poverty and social injustice around the world."

Continuing into Friday evening, Gray said that the response has increased every single day. In addition to collecting money and items, students can sign a banner that will be sent to the troops.

If unable to donate money or items, students are encouraged to give their time. They still need people to run the booth Friday and help sort out the items early next week, according to Gray. For more information, contact Gray via the Operation JMU Web site, http://orgs.jmu.edu/mi/signup.htm.