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Naval Station Rota Provides Humanitarian Relief

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040122-09

Release Date: 1/23/2004 5:00:00 AM

By Journalist 2nd Class Tina Villalobos, Naval Station Rota Public Affairs

ROTA Spain (NNS) -- The generosity of the Naval Station Rota community reaches far beyond the boundaries of the base. Items that don't sell quickly at the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) Thrift Store here often benefit people in far-flung corners of the Earth, such as various locations in Afghanistan and Djibouti (a small eastern African country bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea).

When the Naval Station Rota community donates unwanted items to the base thrift store, nothing is wasted, according to NMCRS volunteer, Barbara Theroux.

"Anything that comes in the thrift shop, if it is sellable, gets sold, and then we use the money for the Sailors and Marines and their needs. And if it isn't [sellable], we send it off to donate," said Theroux. "Anything donated will not go to waste."

At Theroux's request, military humanitarian aid liaison personnel made contact via email, including their name, address and pertinent information, about the population they serve. Theroux then shared the information with Tina Foltynewicz, director of the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, Rota. From there, a stream of boxes began to flow into war-torn and impoverished locations.

Master Sgt. Alfredo Montes, the host nation coordinator for the Combined Joint Operation Area under the U.S. Army, Combined Joint Task Force 180, based in Bagram, Afghanistan, is one of Theroux's humanitarian aid points of contact.

"The needs of the people are great, as this is the fifth poorest country in the world," said Montes. "I provided goods to our various teams located throughout the country, stationed in what are known as Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). Those teams assist the communities in building or rebuilding the country's infrastructure, schools, hospitals, bridges and wells, for example, which have been dormant as a result of more than two decades of war. The PRTs also provide Humanitarian Assistance to designated regions of Afghanistan."

According to Montes, educational materials such as pens, pencils, crayons and paper, as well as health care items and clothing, remain among the most needed of donations.

"In both countries the people are so poor, they're just so thankful for anything that they get," said Theroux. "What we send them is what we receive at the thrift store that we don't really use. If people want to donate directly to the humanitarian relief locations, they can just bring their donations to the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society office, and we will tape the box up and put the address label on, right in front of them, if they want. We would really appreciate pens, pencils and paper - school supplies. If people want to donate rolls of packaging tape, that would be great," Theroux added.

Once the donations are boxed, they're sent directly to the donation sites for humanitarian aid distribution.