Brittany Gordon's Operation Iraqi Child 2004 Service Project

Brittany, state finalist, 2004 National American Miss

 My name is Brittany Ann Gordon, and I am 10 years old. I decided I wanted to work on Operation Iraqi Children for my National American Miss Service project when I saw Gary Sinise on a News Talk Show my dad watches. I knew immediately I wanted to help. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not have paper and pens because I love to draw! I also wanted to help our soldiers because my brother-in-law is in the Navy.
Brittany and her mom collecting Operation Iraqi Child materials in Pomeroy I started the project by making a display board explaining the need and how people could help. I got lots of pictures and the words off the Operation Iraqi Children’s web site. I made some flyers of lists of the needed items and made a donation can from a coffee can.

I arranged for a booth at Pomeroy’s Tumbleweed Festival where I passed out flyers of what people could donate and collected cash donations. They didn’t charge me for the booth because it was a service.
Brittany Gordon, Project Iraqi Child, National American Miss at Walla Walla I then was given a free booth at Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival – It was 118 degrees that day! I got lots of donation anyway. Several teachers came to my booth and said they wanted to have their classes help with Operation Iraqi Children. That made me feel good that more people will be helping the kids in Iraqi and supporting our troops to help them.

Brittany and Operation Iraqi Child in Spokane

Brittany and Operation Iraqi Child in Spokane

 I was also given space at the Spokane Home School Conference. There, I mostly collected letters to the soldiers who distribute the kits and to the children who receive them. It was a fun two days! Many kids came to my booth to write letters and draw pictures.
Pomeroy East Washingtonian writes about Brittany and her Operation Iraqi Child project I passed out flyers to the stores in my town too! My Church secretary put a notice in the church bulletin and the local Newspaper ran a story about my efforts.
Brittany putting together Operation Iraqi Child kits People were very generous at the booths and also in bringing supplies to me after reading the flyers and story in the Newspaper. One man donated all the scissors for the kits I put together, Our local priest brought in 20 completed kits and a bunch of Frisbees, and another girl brought me a whole box of notebook paper to use in my kits.

Brittany packaging Operation Iraqi Child kits

  

 

It was fun to shop for the school supplies and assemble the kits. Here I am taping together the boxes for the first kits I sent off.
Brittany and boxed Operation Iraqi Child kits Already I have sent in 48 completed kits and a box of sports equipment. I have materials to put together many more kits. 

Castlemoyle Books, one of my sponsors, donated the shipping boxes and UPS charges to ship the school kits to the Operation Iraqi Children headquarters.

My goal was to create 84 kits by Thanksgiving!

Brittany is shipping Operation Iraqi Child kits

It was a sunny day when I handed off the first box to Aton, our UPS driver, to start its long journey to the school kids in Iraq.

 

 
Thank you letter to Brittany from Operation Iraqi Children I received this very nice thank you letter via e-mail after I shipped off my contribution.

You can help Operation Iraqi Children Too! 

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