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Thursday, August 19th, 2004
Sacramento Resident Helps Ship $1.8 Million in Medical Aid to Iraq
(SACRAMENTO) – American charitable organizations have teamed up to provide $1.8 million in medical supplies and equipment for the people of Iraq. Spirit of America and INMED Partnership for Children, working with Sacramento resident John Ubaldi a board member of the non-profit organization, Move America Forward, have established a program to supply a constant stream of medical supplies to Iraq. They shipped $1.8 million worth of medical supplies to Iraq on July 23. John Ubaldi, a U.S. Marine Reservist who served in Afghanistan and is now a Special Advisor to Move America Forward, collaborated with Doug Franco of Rotary International and Orchard International to introduce INMED and Spirit of America to inspire the joint project, an ongoing program to send supplies vital to the needs of the hospitals and clinics in Iraq and Afghanistan, on a monthly basis. Ubaldi contacted Capt John Williams of the 3rd Civil Affairs Group in Iraq to find out what was most needed, while Doug Franco worked with INMED to donate the pharmaceutical supplies. INMED donated $1.8 million in supplies to Spirit of America, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization which supports Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan aid people in need. In turn, Spirit of America arranged for the logistics of getting the generous donation from INMED to Iraq, where it will now be distributed by Dr. Khamis, the Director General of the Ministry of Health in Al-Anbar, Iraq. Dr. Khamis works closely with Capt. Williams to ensure that the supplies get to the hospitals and clinics in the surrounding area that are most in need. The other organization without which this wouldn’t have happened is Federal Express, whose people rolled up their sleeves and helped with warehousing and shipping. This humanitarian work would have been impossible without them.
Because of the commitment of the Minister of Health to his mission, to the new Iraqi government, and most of all to the people of Iraq, and the commitment of our Marines, with help from INMED, Spirit of America, and John Ubaldi and Doug Franco, 12 hospitals and 126 clinics can ease the suffering of so many who would otherwise be turned away.
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