Greetings!

We are writing to invite your organization to participate in a hope-filled project taking place in Western Massachusetts over the next six months. We hope you'll join us.

As you may have heard, Conway residents Ann Gibson and Mary McClintock wrote a letter of apology to farmers in Dhuluaya, Iraq whose orange, lemon and date groves were bulldozed by the American military last September. (Please see the enclosed apology letter as well as articles from the Independent (UK) and the Recorder (Greenfield, MA) about the incident and our response.) Rick McDowell & Mary Trotochaud, Iraq Country Representatives of the American Friends Service Committee, have our letter of apology with them in Baghdad and are working to deliver the letter to the farmers via an aide organization that works in the Dhuluaya area.

In addition to our efforts to convey a person to person apology to the farmers whose trees and livelihoods were destroyed, we want to provide financial support to the farmers and their families as they replant their groves. We also are pressing our legislators for an investigation and reparations. Recognizing that war hurts everyone and that many local military families are struggling financially while their family members are in Iraq, we also want to provide financial support to local military families in need. (We are enclosing information about the three-fold increase in demand for the food pantry that serves local military families).

Through the western Mass growing season, from Summer Solstice until Halloween, we will solicit donations to the Harvest Aid Fund through email, leaflet, press releases, and donation cans at local farmer's markets and Community Supported Agriculture farms (CSAs). The Western Massachusetts American Friends Service Committee (a 501(c)3 organization) will be the fiscal sponsor for this project and all donations will be tax deductible. Given the uncertainties of the situation in Iraq, we are unsure whether we will be able to get the donations directly to the farmers in Dhuluaya after Halloween. In the event we cannot, we will contribute that share of the donations to an Iraqi aid organization working on rebuilding agriculture and addressing hunger needs in Iraq. Locally, we will donate money to the Pioneer Valley USO, a group working in the Pioneer Valley supporting needy military families. The funds will be divided equally between Iraq and western Mass.

That's the plan; now here's your part. We are seeking organizations interested in joining us in the Harvest Aid Fund Drive. There are many ways for your organization to be involved, including the following:

- list your organization name as a cosponsor on fundraising materials

- distribute leaflets

- send solicitations to your members/supporters via email, in your print publications, or on your website

- put out a collection can and leaflets

- distribute fact sheets

- distribute to your constituency a sample letter to legislators requesting an investigation and reparations

- participate in a meeting with legislators.

We will provide cosponsors with text for email messages or newsletters, templates of leaflets, collection cans, and fact sheets and sample letters to legislators.

If you'd like to sign on as a cosponsor, please fill out the response card and mail it to Jo Comerford at the AFSC, 140 Pine Street, Florence MA 01062. If you have any questions about the Harvest Aid Fund, contact any of us at the phone numbers and email addresses listed below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Peace,
Ann Gibson (413-625-1094, acheatham@crocker.com)
Mary McClintock (413-369-0117, mcclinto@shaysnet.com)
Jo Comerford (413-584-8975, afsc@crocker.com)