Thumbs Up! Dec. 18, 2017

It took Janice Dale nearly a decade to do it, but she is now a college graduate. A nontraditional student by all definitions, Dale received her diploma this month from Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus. Having taken one to three courses for 28 of 29 consecutive semesters, Dale had other obligations in her life that could easily have caused an interruption in her determination. But she didn’t allow that to happen. Once she was enrolled in the summer of 2008, Dale never looked back. Congratulations on reaching your goal, and thank you for the example you set for all students at GSW.

Poverty is a massive issue for Albany. Far too many people have grown up in the “When I get my check” environment. Children have been taught that a job is not necessary and that just getting by is good enough. The cycle rocks on, generation after generation. Strive2Thrive is breaking that cycle in slow but permanent ways. When a family or individual decides he or she will be the one to break out into the world of education and gainful employment, Strive 2Thrive is there to help. Phase 1 of the organization’s program is a four-week class followed by Phase 2, which is a two-year self-sufficiency program. Strive2Thrive served 104 families and 225 individuals this year. Of those participants, 74 percent are gainfully employed and 71 percent who entered the program at risk of losing their jobs have managed to stay employed. Educational goals are also set as part of the program, and this year alone 95 participants earned high school diplomas or GEDs and 75 students transferred to technical school or college. One hundred percent have moved into safer, more affordable housing. There is no way to argue against the possibility of getting out of poverty. Strive2Thrive, with a lot of community support, has the numbers to prove it can be done.

Foster parents are some of the least heralded heroes in American society. When a child comes into the foster home, it can be for a few days or a few years. There are, among foster children, some who live in as many as 15-20 different places before reaching the magic age of 18. The per diem for providing a safe and caring home is embarrassingly low. At Christmastime, it has been a longstanding tradition of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Leesburg Police Department to collect toys specifically for foster children. The desire (and follow-through) to ease the burden on foster parents as well as offer some sense of normalcy for the kids is indeed a noble endeavor. Thumbs up to the LPD and LCSO.

Every November, Bainbridge’s First Port City Bank partners with the nonprofit Family Connection and First United Methodist Church for a food drive. In drives past, enough food has been collected to keep the FUMC food bank’s shelves stocked for up to six months. Last year, competition ramped up collections, and the food lasted through this November. With four elementary schools competing against one another and the local hospital conducting an internal competition this year, an amazing 10,000 pounds (that’s five tons) of canned goods are ready and waiting for the new year. Well done, Decatur County.

Christmas is just one week away, and for most of us, there are still a lot of preparations to handle. There are gift buying and wrapping, cooking … and with the children out of school, stress can, and will, rear its ugly head over the next few days. Try to prioritize and keep the family and your friends and neighbors at the top of the list. If a pie isn’t perfect or the bow is lopsided, not a soul will remember later on. It’s family traditions, silly and serious ones, a neighbor invited to dinner or kind words exchanged in a line of shoppers, that will linger in someone’s heart for a long, long, time. Merry Christmas to you!