ALERT team makes a difference

Submitted

For several days in January, Otter Springs Park and Campground was fortunate enough to have the young Christian men of the Air Land Emergency Response Team (ALERT) stay at the park.
This group of young men worked hard assisting many elderly folks and veterans residing in Gilchrist County. They also worked in the Gilchrist County recreation areas performing a variety of projects that required a little more assistance than the normal routine.

Two ALERT group members show just some of the heavy lifting they did
while helping people in Gilchrist County.

The ALERT organization is based in Texas; however, the team’s members, ages ranging from 17 to 23, are from all over the country. The ALERT is primarily trained for emergency response to natural disasters and other incidents, but they also complete community service tasks while being deployed. The team of squad #44 stopped in Gilchrist County while traveling to the Florida Keys. Through the effort of the Gilchrist County Commission, Fanning Springs Commission, Trenton City Commission, and the Bell Town Council, needy projects were identified to repair homes for citizens in need. During the five days in the county they camped at Otter Springs on the banks of the beautiful Suwannee River.

The ALERT group pleased residents of Ayers Health and Rehabilitation as they visited and entertained them.

The ALERT group split into two teams, leaving the park with approximately ten men in each group. The teams had to work around very stormy weather on Tuesday, January 27. On Wednesday morning one of the team reported to Shirley Tillman’s residence near Trenton. Mrs. Tillman is an elderly widow that needed some windows replaced, some painting outside and some trees cleaned up that had fallen on her property. “Being a widow, I really appreciate the work the ALERT group did. They did a very neat job; they were very courteous, worked well together and were well mannered,” she explained. Mr. Carl Cornwell of the Gilchrist County Character Council was instrumental in the ALERT program as he worked along with the young men at Mrs. Tillman’s.
On Tuesday another ALERT group was working at Mrs. Geraldine Hunt’s residence near Bell. Commissioner Kenrick Thomas provided the materials for the ALERT group to build Mrs. Hunt a wheelchair ramp. The ramp was completed on Tuesday at no cost to Mrs. Hunt. Mr. Cornwell is scheduled to return to Mrs. Hunt’s at a later time to paint the ramp.
Bill and Jeanne Holland of Gilchrist County submitted their residence to the Fanning Springs Council for consideration by the ALERT groups. Mr. Holland is a disabled Korean War veteran and is unable to perform physical tasks. The ALERT group raked up 25 bags of leaves, trimmed their crepe myrtles and cleaned out their gutters on their roof lines. “My husband and I are so fortunate to have been helped by this group. They did their work efficiently and have contributed greatly to ease our life, and we are very thankful for their service,” Mrs. Holland explained.
When the ALERT group was not outside working, they had time to visit the elderly at Ayers Health and Rehab. While there they talked with the residents as well as sang songs to lift their spirits. The residents truly enjoyed the visit from these outstanding young men.
The teams assisted park staff with many projects such as tree trimming, dead tree removal, road improvements, park beautification and other maintenance needs around the park. Not only were the young men incredibly hard workers, they were exceptionally polite and respectful to all staff, each other and park volunteers. The jobs the ALERT groups accomplished in a short period of time would have taken our smaller staff weeks to complete. Many backburner projects were taken care of successfully; we are very grateful for their help! The ALERT is welcomed back to Otter Springs any time they need a place to stay in the future, explained Kadie Ogden, Manager of Otter Spring Park and Campground.