13-year-old turns birthday into a time of giving to others

Mackenzie Dunn holds money in her hand at her birthday party
as part her donation to Operation: Miltiary Matters. 

Thanksgiving, is a day to be thankful and a time for giving. I couldn't think of a more giving story than the one I am about to share.

A few weeks ago, my 12-year-old daughter Graci brought home a handmade invitation to her friend Mackenzie Dunn's 13th birthday party. I was amazed to see inside it said, "instead of gifts this year please bring donations for Operation: Military Matters" and she gave a list of suggested items to donate.  Operation: Military Matters, is my daughter Graci's nonprofit. She sends care packages to the military overseas. When I saw Mackenzie was asking for donations for it, I was very impressed. Most teens aren't thinking about giving to others these days, they are more interested in themselves one reason they are labeled the "me generation."

 Mackenzie's birthday was on Veterans Day this year, so that's why she wanted to do something for the military. In the past Graci has shared with her the impact the care packages make on our military.  

When I picked Graci up from the party, Mackenzie handed me a $200 check and three bagfuls of items to send in the care packages. This generosity and unselfish act really made an impact on me and I am sure others including the kids at the party and her family. To see a young teen give up all her presents is really unheard of. I mean she could have had a new phone, iPad, Apple watch, etc. She was such a cheerful giver too, she even told me the other day she received another twenty dollars and her mom was going to give it to me. She knows that will help pay for shipping for another care package. Mackenzie realizes even at her young age what she is doing is making the lives of our soldiers a little bit brighter with the care packages. She told me she wants to help pack the next round of care packages for the troops. Wow, not only is she donating money to a charity, but also her time!  

As I think about this wonderful story of our youth and how there are young kids doing good deeds in the world, it makes my heart so happy. We have to share these kinds of

stories. I know there are more stories like this. We need to report more good news instead of all the bad things kids are doing. My hope is when kids see others being recognized for doing good deeds, maybe they will do something good.

I believe, as parents we need to be the ones to set an example of giving. We need to give to others and teach our children this and tell them it feels great to give. Maybe we can all learn a little something from 13-year-old Mackenzie and her giving heart. As we approach the holidays over the next few months, think about giving to others.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Seminole Post Office Goes Above and Beyond in Service

Graci sending out her first care package for Operation: Miltiary
Matters in January 2016 at the Seminole Post Office.

I never use to think the post office was a place where you could go to meet people so many nice people, but it is. It’s not too often you hear about postal employees going above and beyond and being extraordinarily nice, so when it happens it’s worth writing about. That’s why I must let you know about our post office at the City of Seminole. They are a wonderful group of people and I believe it stems from their Postmaster Theresa Painter.  

I am in there quite a bit with my 12-year-old daughter, Graci, helping her mail hundreds of care packages to the military overseas with her nonprofit Operation: Military Matters.  

We have been doing this for more than two and a half years now, so the clerks and postmaster know us by name. But they don’t just know us by name, I notice them calling others by name too. Sometimes it reminds me of the 1980’s television sitcom “Cheers” with the theme song “Where everybody knows your name.”

So many people these days think if it’s not in my job description, I don’t have to do it, so I won’t. That’s not the case when I go to the post office. They go out of their way to help. Sometimes I have a bunch of packages to load into the cart and the clerks are right there asking us if we need help.  

It’s not just us though. The other day I was there checking my P.O. box right about the time the post office was closing. There was a man was walking in at 5:01 p.m. He needed a check mailed and needed an envelope to mail it in and was pleading to be able to mail the check. The clerk said ok and he even helped him get an envelope. I know he didn’t have to do that, but I am sure it made that man’s day.  

When the employees are nice, it makes for nice customers. I can’t tell you how many times I have met wonderful people at the post office. It’s not that I am talking to everyone when I go there, they just seem to talk to me or overhear my conversation and start talking. One day I was there and met a lady who was mailing a package to someone overseas and I told her about my daughter's nonprofit and that she would mail a package also if she wanted. The lady ended up telling us how she and her husband are Mr. and Mrs. Claus during the holidays and deliver toys to the kids who have parents in the military. She gave me her number and it was a wonderful connection.

Another time, I met a nice young man who was in line, who was in a wheelchair and started talking to me about how he got hurt playing soccer years ago and caused brain injury to him. He just brightened my day by just being so pleasant.

I’ve met others who have given me their business cards to help with my daughter’s nonprofit and others who have just given us money to help mail a package while we are there. We’ve also been able to send care packages overseas to friends of people we’ve met while in line.

Next time there’s a line at the post office and you are waiting, strike up a conversation or at least say hello to the person you’re in line next to and if you get a worker who is a veteran (most of them are) thank them for their service to our country.   You never know how you might just brighten their day and make your trip to the post office worthwhile experience.

Seminole High graduate also becomes Eagle Scout in same week

Left to Right: Jayson Weiner, David Weiner (Jayson's dad), Levi Siewert, Ray Siewert (Levi's dad), Philip Cappelli, John Cappelli (Philip's dad) and Ned Covel at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Largo on May 21.

Note: to view article in paper go to bit.ly/JaysonWeiner

In December of last year, we told you about a Seminole High School senior, Jayson Weiner, who was working on becoming a Eagle Scout. The project he picked to become an Eagle Scout was to help a former nonprofit, St. Pete Beach Support our Troops, who had lost all their volunteers and needed to ship care packages to the military overseas. The organization had all the boxes to send, but not enough money to send the packages. 

"After I had been informed that I had to fundraise the money for the shipping, I thought this project was over due to the fact fundraising $10,000 with a deadline of 9 days seemed impossible. The support I received from the community helped me ship a total of 566 care packages to soldiers in Afghanistan before Christmas," said Weiner.

After calling local businesses and an article running in Tampa Bay Newspapers, Weiner was able to collect the money he needed to send off the care packages. "This would not have been possible in any world without the backing of the community, and I would like to thank those people dearly, they include: American Legion Post 252 ($2500.00), American Legion Post 125 ($1,000), American Legion Post 79, Operation: Military Matters, United States Postal Service: Seminole Post Office, and St. Albans Church," added Weiner.

Weiner received the honor of Eagle Scout on May 21, 2018, during a ceremony at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Largo with several of his friends who have been in scouts together since starting . It was a wonderful week because earlier in the week he also graduated from Seminole High School. In the fall, he plans on going into the Marine Corps to help fulfill what he says is his civic duty and to get his college education.

Fewer than 4 percent of all Scouts in the United States reach the Eagle Scout rank, achieve the scouting purpose in the building of character, training of leadership, and the practice of serving.

Some of the 500 care packages Jayson Weiner shipped to the military overseas.

Jayson Weiner and other Boy Scouts who helped him with his project back in
December 2017, before shipping the care packages overseas. 

Veterans Day is Every Day

Cody Anderson carries a photograph of Steve Tubbs,
who was then serving in Iraq, during a 2003 walk between
Naples and Fort Myers in tribute to U.S. troops

Why is Veterans Day so important? It's important because we are so blessed to be in a land where we are free and have the privilege of living the American dream. I think our veterans should be honored not just on Veterans Day, but every day. The sacrifice they have given for us is something we shouldn't take for granted. When a person decides to join the military, they are dedicating their life to our country.

I have quite a few veterans in my family. My dad, father-in-law, brother-in-law, grandfathers and uncles all served fighting for our country. My brother-in-law, Steve Tubbs, was the most recent serving two tours in Iraq.

I remember when my brother-in-law was serving for Iraq, how tough it was on the family, especially my mother-in-law. She told me it was hard having my father-in-law in Vietnam, but even tougher for a son to be fighting. I could only imagine what parents go through when their kids are overseas. It's tough on our military and also their families who are back home, some raising kids all alone. I remember one lady in church a few years ago had a baby and her husband missed the baby's birth because he was fighting for us. These men and women sacrifice not only their lives, but memories and life events with their families they can never relive.

Back in 2003, a man named Cody Anderson came into my office one day, while I was working for the Mayor of Fort Myers. He wanted to do something to pay tribute to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan . If you remember back than it was during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was going to walk from Naples City Hall to Fort Myers City Hall, which was 45 miles carrying a U.S. flag. Cody's walk was to encourage people to adopt a soldier and send cards to them, to let them know we care. Cody adopted my brother-in-law, Steve, who was serving at the time in the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Squadron, 17th Calvary Regiment. Cody had never met Steve before doing this walk and I remember him saying how honored he was to do this for Steve and the others serving. It made me so happy to see this and I knew how much it meant to my husband, my in-laws and to my brother-in-law. While Steve was still in Iraq, he wrote Cody a letter thanking him for his sacrifice in walking for him and said, "Nothing makes a soldier feel better than to be recognized, though that is not our purpose."

I saw how one person's kindness made life a little brighter for my family, while my brother-in-law was fighting in Iraq. Today, I watch how my 10 year-old-daughter, Graci, sending care packages to the military serving overseas, as what started out as her school service project a year ago and has continued into a community project Operation: Military Matters.  While she was sending packages at the post office the other day, she was talking to a veteran who served in Vietnam and I heard him say to them, "I wish there were kids like you back when I was serving."

I think our veterans need to know how important they are and what they did and are doing for us does not go unnoticed. Don't just thank a veteran on Veterans Day, but thank them every day. We are free because of them. Freedom is not free.