Up to 70 people helped through Saturday in the Salvation Army church, Sharon, packing and taping boxes full of school supplies that will be flown to children in Iraq and Afghanistan as a part of “Operation Schoolhouse.”

The effort, organized by Yellow Ribbon Families of Mercer County, had shipped about 100 boxes to the post office by mid-afternoon, with 60 more waiting in the wings, said the group’s president, Valerie Grandy.

“I would guess probably 3,200 pounds roughly today. I won’t know till they bring their receipts back,” Mrs. Grandy said.

The school supplies will be distributed to children near Baghdad, in southeastern Iraq and in Afghanistan. “Everything was divided up equally among the three different contacts we had,” Mrs. Grandy said.

Between today and past shipments, Mrs. Grandy said the group has sent about 5è tons of school supplies overseas. The biggest hurdle to clear is the high mailing costs. Today’s packages were expected to cost about $3,800.

Helping Yellow Ribbon Families pack boxes were students and teenagers from schools in Sharon, Mercer, Grove City and Warren, Ohio. There were also Hubbard Boy Scouts, people from various Shenango Valley clubs and a VFW, and parents who brought their children.

Mrs. Grandy said those who want to donate for shipping costs can deliver checks to any branch of First National Bank, made out to Yellow Ribbons Families of Mercer County.

People can designate on the check whether it goes to Operation Schoolhouse or to sending packages overseas to soldiers, both of which the group does.

Also, people can give the name or address of a service member to Mrs. Grandy and Yellow Ribbon Families will send them boxes, she said. She can be reached at 724-977-2646 or 724-662-2324.

Yellow Ribbons Families of Mercer County meets from 10 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of each month in conference room 2 of UPMC Horizon, Farrell.