For the love of books

I love reading. And apparently in Eau Claire, WI, postal employees there love it too.

They teamed up with school kids to provide U.S. troops in Iraq with a little -- OK, a lot -- of reading material.

Operation Paperback began as part of a monthly service project at Immaculate Conception School. The war has personally touched several students and staff, who have relatives serving in Iraq.

Chuck Slobodnik is a mail processor at the Eau Claire P&DF whose wife, Mary, teaches first grade at IC. When he heard of the project, he figured "if the kids can do it, we could also get behind it."

Slobodnik spread the news among co-workers and did some soliciting on his own. Local branches of the APWU, NALC and NRLCA teamed with American Legion and VFW posts to cover the cost of postage, estimated between $540 and $720. In all, 36 boxes of paperbacks and magazines have been sent to Iraq for the troops to enjoy.