Secretary's Message

This time of year is a time of gratitude. Many of our fellow employees had empty chairs at their thanksgiving table due to loved ones serving in the war in Iraq. In addition, some employees lost their homes in the recent hurricanes and perhaps shared thanksgiving with others.

For many people, we are approaching a difficult time of year--the holidays. When everyone around us is happy and the sights and sounds of the season tell us that we should be enjoying ourselves it is difficult if we are grieving for a loved one, separated from family, experiencing catastrophic illness or loss of a home, and we end up struggling just to get by.

In early November The Orlando Sentinel reported that, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the number of Floridians left homeless by hurricanes continued to grow by as much as 100 people per day three months after the first of four storms hit the state. Most are on a 3,100 person waiting list for temporary housing. The deadline to file for federal help for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne has been extended until Dec. 31. The Red Cross says more than 25,000 homes in Florida were destroyed and more than 40,000 had major damage from the storms, that hit in August and September.

Throughout the long recovery period, I have been impressed by the resilience and perseverance of employees who are dealing with this hardship. In fact, on a much lighter note:

Calhoun CI Staff Travel to the TODAY Show From left to right, Tracy Mathews, Major Cathie O’Bryan, Lunden Roberts, and Sylvia Edwards Four staff members from Calhoun CI traveled to New York City to see the sights of "The Big Apple". The group included Tracy Mathews, secretary specialist for AWO, Major Cathie O’Bryan, Graceville WC, (previously CCI captain), Lunden Roberts, professional accountant, Region I Financial Services, housed at CCI), and Sylvia Edwards, warden’s staff assistant. They arrived in "the Big Apple" on Monday, October 25th and returned home on Thursday, October 28th. While in New York City they stayed busy visiting the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Central Park, and Chinatown. Before leaving Blountstown, it was decided that they would be on the TODAY Show on Tuesday, October 26th. PRIDE Printing was happy to assist with printing the sign and it was hand carried with them on the planes. The sign said, "We survived the Florida Storms!" To ensure they were able to be on the show on that particular day, they were in line outside the NBC studio at 5:30 a.m. EST. They had a great time but were unable to see and do all that they wanted to do. They are already busy planning their next trip.