107th ARW helps local children give to Iraqi children in need

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rebecca Kenyon
  • 107th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
NIAGARA FALLS ARS, N.Y. --  For two weeks, students of the Holy Ghost Lutheran School collected more than 30 large bags of clothes for children who live on the other side of the world, children they will probably never know, but children who they heard-- are in need.
It all started when Christine Lange read an email sent from the 107th Air Refueling Wing Family Support Center that announced children in Iraq are in need of clothes.
Christine's husband, Master Sgt. Bryan Lange, 107th ARW Recruiting Office Supervisor, forwarded the email to his wife to see if they had any clothes from home to donate.
Lange said she felt that the clothing drive was a great opportunity to get the school that their daughter and son attend involved.
"I felt if I got more people involved, there would be more clothes for the children in Iraq," said Lange.
Lange added children everywhere are important and when anyone is in need giving is the right thing to do.
Lange said once she mentioned her idea to Holy Ghost principal, Kevin Gundell, he was eager to help.
"Our hearts go out to those in need," said Gundell.
Gundell said Holy Ghost focuses on teaching their students to be mission minded.
"We regularly take on projects as a school to teach the children responsibility and to count their blessings and give to others," Gundell said.
On Wednesday March 26, the students presented 107th ARW members with the several bags of clothing they collected.
Tech Sgt. Chris Zastrow, 107th ARW, talked to the children about his recent deployments to Al Udeid, Qatar and Afghanistan.
"When you go to another country, you see how we take for granted what we have," said Zastrow.
Zastrow told the students how the clothes they donated will help those who don't have the basics that many of us take for granted.
"Even though they don't get to see the kids they donated to, it gives them a sense of charity, they know that they are blessed for what they have," said Lange.
The collection is complete. The bags of clothes that were donated by Holy Ghost Lutheran School children and 107th ARW members will be sent to deployed 107th security forces members in Iraq who will then distribute them to Iraqi children in need.