PORT TOWNSEND — Chris Loverro, the Army reserve staff sergeant who started two humanitarian aide projects during his tour in Iraq, returns to Port Townsend today to thank townsfolk who supported his efforts.
“He was so tired last time that he just wanted a quiet visit,” says Carrie Pierce, Loverro’s local contact.
“He’s coming back to officially thank everyone.”
Demobilized in October, Loverro came to Port Townsend a month ago to visit Pierce, who he met last November at a Seattle restaurant before shipping out with the Fort Lewis Stryker Brigade to Iraq.
There, assigned to military operations and humanitarian assistance, he saw the need for warm clothing and blankets for war refugees.
He contacted Pierce, who enlisted her Soroptimist chapter to get the word out.
Staging area
Using the Port Townsend Police Department as a staging area, the community collected 112 boxes of supplies that were shipped to Iraqi refugees.
“The response I got from the Police Department and the community were amazing,” Loverro said when he was in Port Townsend to move the yellow ribbons Pierce had tied to her apple tree.
During today’s visit, Pierce says Loverro wants to personally thank the people who helped with “Operation Blanket” and “Operation Pencil,” another aide program to provide school supplies for Iraqi children.
