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.