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# Local woman returns from Iraq with stories
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/local-woman-returns-from-iraq-with-stories/
- Published: 2003-07-26T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:24:03.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Santa Monica resident Kelly Hayes-Raitt has just returned from her second trip to Iraq and wants to tell the community about her experiences there.

Hayes-Raitt had gone to Iraq in February, before the war began. She went back last month to find some of the children and women she met during her first visit. She also saw firsthand the impact of the bombings and invasion on people’s lives, homes and hearts. She said the trip revealed much devastation and much inspiration.

She is speaking at several community events about the people she met in her travels in Baghdad, Hillah, Babylon, Fallouja, Basra and Umm Qasr.

Since February, Hayes-Raitt has addressed more than 60 audiences, including religious congregations, state women’s conferences, school classes, community clubs, large peace rallies and small neighborhood meetings. If you are interested in having Hayes-Raitt speak at an upcoming function, call (310) 581-4421 or e-mail at

Upcoming speaking events:

Sunday, July 27

10:15 a.m. (During church service)

Church in Ocean Park

235 Hill St.

Santa Monica

(Also featuring music by Stephen Longfellow Fiske)

Monday, July 28

LA County Women’s Commission

Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration

500 W. Temple St., Room 830

Downtown LA

Monday, July 28

Gaslite “Blues, Booze and Views”

2030 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica

(Also featuring music by JJ Badboy Jones, and free pizza and soft drinks)

Thursday, July 31

Sister City USA

Private home, call for information (310) 581-4421

Long Beach

(Reception with five Russian women visiting as part of sister city program)

Thursday, Aug. 7

Westside Greens

2809 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica

Monday, Aug. 11

International Longshore & Warehouse Union

Marine Clerk’s Hall

Labor Room (upstairs)

San Pedro

Sunday, Aug. 17

Democratic Victory Neighborhood Community Group

Private home, call for information (310) 581-4421

Pico-Fairfax area

Friday, Sept. 5

Pacific Palisades Methodist Church

801 Via de la Paz

Pacific Palisades

Sunday, Sept. 21

12 p.m. (following church services)

Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach

5450 Atherton

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 26, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/072603.pdf?ref=smdp.com)