OPERATION MISSISSIPPI CHRISTMAS

By Rep. Steny Hoyer

The winter holiday season is upon us and I would like to extend warm wishes to everyone in St. Mary’s County to have a safe and happy holiday.  This is a time when we celebrate the warm traditions of the holidays with loved ones – families reunite, gifts are shared, many people partake in preparing and enjoying lavish meals, and make plans to attend parties and gatherings to celebrate the season. 

Most importantly, the holiday season is a time for giving to those less fortunate than ourselves. Residents of the Gulf Coast will be celebrating their first Christmas since Hurricane Katrina ravaged their communities this August.  Americans from all walks of life, including families right here in St. Mary’s County, have opened their hearts to our vulnerable brothers and sisters in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

I particularly would like to recognize the tremendous efforts of Joe St. Clair, Tom Jarboe, and Donald Cropp, founders of the St. Mary’s County Hurricane Relief Fund. 

Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, these men organized the Relief Fund to help the victims of the storm in the small town of D’iberville, Mississippi.

This October, Joe, Tom, and Don drove two tractor trailers stocked with needed school supplies, book bags, and other goods the entire way to D’iberville. These items had been collected with the assistance of countless St. Mary’s County businesses and volunteers.

The Hurricane Relief Fund’s work to help D’iberville did not stop when they returned to St. Mary’s County.  Since their initial trip, the St. Mary’s Hurricane Relief Fund has organized an “Adopt a Kid Campaign” to ensure that the children of D’iberville have the resources they need, facilitated stationing a medical team in D’iberville, sent educational supplies to Sacred Heart Catholic School, sent eighty first aid kits to a D’iberville healthcare clinic, and worked to fulfill the needs of the community as requested by D’iberville officials. 

This December, Joe, Tom, and Don organized another massive donation drive, “Operation Mississippi Christmas,” this time to ensure that no child in D’iberville went without a present.  Last Friday, I visited with the organizers and a group of volunteers at a warehouse as they loaded two additional tractor trailers bound for D’iberville.  I am proud that I was able to participate in this noble effort by donating hundreds of duffle bags and by persuading BAE Systems to cover the cost of transporting the goods.

When the trucks left for the gulf coast on Saturday morning, they were loaded with more than just presents. Included among their cargo were:

·        200 book bags loaded with school supplies;

·        50 additional first aid kits;

·        cases of needed medical supplies for the D’iberville clinic;

·        quilts donated by the local Amish community;

·        bicycles;

·        hundreds of duffle bags;

·        35 complete computer systems with printers, cables, etc., all donated by SMARTCO;

·        defibrillator batteries and a charger donated by St. Mary’s Hospital (critical item for the medical clinic); and

·        1160 Wal-Mart giftcards for the upper middle and high school students.

On Sunday afternoon the trucks rolled into D’iberville, completing the approximately 1000 mile journey.  On Monday, D’iberville elementary school held a pizza party as the presents were handed out and the goods distributed to the grateful community.  At the end of the day, I received a call from the group indicating they had accomplished their mission of handing something to every school child in D’iberville.  

The St. Mary’s Hurricane Relief Fund has organized an amazingly successful relief effort and I applaud its hard work.

I would like to personally thank Joe St. Clair, Joe Cropp, Tom Jarboe, Guy Curley, Reggie Townsend, Ann Raley, Vince Whittles, the St. Mary’s Chamber of Commerce, Father John Ball and St. Mary’s Trinity Episcopal Parish, Technology Security Associates, Larry Wise and everyone at BAE systems, Bo Bailey and his son Tony for driving the trucks and the hundreds of additional contributors, volunteers and businesses that contributed to St. Mary’s Hurricane Relief Funds’ drive to help D’iberville, Mississippi.

I am proud that my constituents, realizing that they are a part of a community bigger than St. Mary’s County, have sought to help our “neighbors” in Mississippi during their time of need.

Their efforts symbolize the true meaning of compassion and are a great example of giving in this holiday season.