CSU Alumni gives back to needy children
Raising money, supplies and food for a poor Afghani school in
Cabal was almost second nature for CSU alumni Paul Christie when
nearly two-tons of materials were donated in just a few months.
“The conditions of the (Poli-Chairky) school were absolute
poverty,” Christie said. “They had nothing, but were in school to
better themselves.”
Christie said Poli-Chairky was a 2,500-population school that
housed kindergarten through 12-grade students and described the
rooms as not having a blackboard to write on, but a wall painted
black that the teachers and students would write on with their
minimal chalk.
“Only the fifth through 12-grade rooms would have a pad of paper
to share with each other,” Christie said. “And basically everyone
sat on the floor.”
After visiting the school and seeing the amount of help that was
needed, Christie e-mailed friend and Asian studies advisor, Carol
Mitchell, to ask if the students in her classes at CSU would want
to donate any school supplies they did not need after finals.
Mitchell also mentioned the Poli-Chairky school drive to
administrative assistant to instructional services at CSU, Chris
Bartholemew.
The announcement of the school drive appeared on numerous
Student FYI e-mails and soon snowballed into a mass amount of
winter clothes and school supplies.
“Before I knew it, my garage was full of a bunch of goodies to
give to the school,” Bartholomew said.
Christie said by the time he left Cabal, the Poli-Chairky school
had appropriate blackboards and the stoves and all windows were
either replaced or repaired.
“Also, the fifth through 12-graders had chairs and desks to
study at when I left,” Christie said.
Since all of the improvements and changes to the Poli-Chairky
school, Christie wanted to thank everyone that made it possible to
improve the lives of so many people.
“There was no way to thank everyone individually,” Christie
said. “I wanted to have a little ceremony were I could thank these
people.”
Christie was able to do just that at the College Ram Welcome
meeting for the incoming Liberal Arts freshmen.
The welcome meeting was held Friday in the Main Ballroom of the
Lory Student Center. Opening remarks were given by Associate Dean
for the College of Liberal Arts, Anne Gill, and a variety of
speeches on scholarship, future employment, citizenship, ram pride
and service followed.
In the service portion of the meeting, Christie stood up before
the audience and presented a plaque and folded flag to
Bartholemew.
“When we were overseas, this flag went with us everywhere we
went,” Christie said. “Everywhere we stopped we would put this flag
up out of our pride of the United States.
“I am giving Chris this flag to thank her and everyone else for
their hard work.”
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