It may seem that a few of these may not all be related to each other. But let me take you on a little trip that will show you how they are through my own personal journey in this life. It was in 2006 when I became interested in "Ham Radio" and was licensed. Some may wonder what ham radio is? From the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) it is described, "Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It's fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need."
A lifeline during times of need? Yes, one of the local ham radio organizations I belonged to at the time was the Calhoun County Amateur Radio Emergency Service/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (ARES/RACES) group. On April 27, 2011 there was an historic outbreak of tornadoes that affected much of Alabama and other states in the Southeast. In total, there were 29 confirmed tornadoes in Central Alabama and 62 confirmed tornadoes across the entire state. Over 230 people in Alabama were killed that day. It was before, during and after these deadly storms that many of the volunteers with the Calhoun County ARES/RACES group were on hand to assist with radio communications and more. Another local ham radio organization that I belonged to at the time, the Calhoun County Amateur Radio Association which was geared more of the "hobby" side, but in April 2012, with the assistance of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency and the Calhoun County Chapter of the American Red Cross, there was distributed, FREE, more than 60 Weather Alert Radios to the residents of the portion of Calhoun County that had been most devastated the year before with that tornado outbreak. These two local ham radio organizations provided an extremely valuable "Community Service" and they continue to do so to this day.
At the time I was the Public Information Officer for both organizations as well as the Electronic Public Information Officer for the Alabama Section of the American Radio Relay League. Now just for informational purposes, long before I accepted these roles, I had once vowed to NEVER USE SOCIAL MEDIA such as FACEBOOK. However, once I started using this and other sources, I found out just exactly how powerful social media is and the reach it has. In addition as the PIO, I also used print media along with radio and television. One of my proudest moments of achievements was when in 2013 I was recognized and presented the "Pen & Key" Award by the Alabama ARRL Section Public Information Coordinator for using all forms of media that were available to share and promote what ham radio is all about.
Since I was now on social media, I began to see more about the "Political Issues" that affected everyone, both locally and nationally. As things started heating up in the political world and as I became more vocal I didn't want anyone to think, I as the PIO for these many different ham radio organizations, was speaking on behalf of them when I posted on social media. Even though I kept my personal thoughts and comments to myself when representing those organizations, I knew at just how ugly the world of politics can get, so I made the decision to step-down so that there could be no confusion on anyone's part. As I stated in my previous Blog article, "Politics, It's An Ugly World And It Is Said By Some To Make Strange Bedfellows", it was before the elections of 2016 in which some of my personal postings lead to me being contacted by two different 3rd Political Parties. And with my eventual involvement with the Veterans Party of America is how and when I became more aware of the many "Veteran Issues".
With each step of my own personal journey in this life, now we've come to "Nonprofits". If you've been following my Facebook post, either on my personal page or at Tracy's Thoughts, you have most likely seen where I've shared about some of my favorite fantastic Alabama based Veteran-operated non-profit organizations, two of which are Flags for Vets and Samson's Strength Sustainable Veterans Project, Inc. There are many other great non-profits in Alabama that are supporting Veterans, some of them can be found listed on the Alabama Nonprofits Supporting Veterans website, and they're on Facebook too.
Let me share a little about Flags for Vets, their mission is to install lighted flagpoles and Flags at a Veteran's residence at no cost. I had the honor of being a recipient of a lighted flag pole and Flag on the 7th of November 2017. It does not matter what branch you were in or whether it was during peacetime or during a war or conflict. If you Honorably served, you are eligible. All installs are made possible by donations, sponsorship's and through the purchase of available FFV Merchandise. Check out their website for more information and be sure to "LIKE" their Facebook Page! Here is a short video I made for them, Tracy's Thoughts on "Flags for Vets".
Next I'll highlight some about Samson's Strength Sustainable Veterans Project, Inc., their mission is to foster independence, model sustainable living habits for Veterans struggling with homelessness. There are plans to build up to 30 small footprint transitional homes for those Veterans. Check out their website for more information and be sure to "LIKE" their Facebook Page! Here is a short video I made for them, Tracy's Thoughts on Samson's Strength Sustainable Veterans Project.
And now you know how "Ham Radio", "Community Service", "Political Issues", "Veteran Issues", and "Nonprofits" have all been a part of my own personal journey in this life and has brought me thus far. I wonder where that next leg will take me?
[DISCLAIMER: All comments posted by me are my own thoughts and are not those of my place of employment or any agencies or organizations that I may be affiliated with.]
