Each month, TEXPERS searches the internet for stories of Texas public employees going the extra mile to help their communities.
Check out what we found this month:
Police Department Gives Girl a Birthday Parade
The Austin Police Department helped make a 10-year-old girl's birthday extra special despite social distancing due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
After learning that the girl, Presley Rivera, couldn't have a birthday party due to social distancing requirements, the department stepped in, according to a report on law enforcement news website Policeone.com. Officers decorated their patrol cars and drove by the girl's home while singing "Happy Birthday to You."
You can watch local news coverage of the parade by clicking the image below.
Teacher Engages Culinary Students Online During Pandemic
Allen Independent School District culinary arts teacher Matthew Denman didn't let the novel coronavirus pandemic stop him from helping his students learn to cook.
According to a report by the Texas Education Agency, he created instructional cooking videos that introduced students to techniques, the science behind cooking, and new vocabulary. Using video, Denman used video to take his students through each step of a new dish and to celebrate their successes.
"Whether it was a student remembering all the steps to a dish, or a student simply cleaning and sanitizing correctly on their own, seeing that 'AHA!' moment was, and is, the most rewarding aspect of teaching," the educator said in a news release. "Also, seeing my students making great tasting food is a definite plus, too."
To see one of the teachers' videos, click here.
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| Texas Education Agency Twitter post from June 30, 2020. |
Librarians Become Face of Small Business Assistance Center
Back in April, Community Impact newspapers reported that City of Bee Cave librarians stepped up during pandemic closures to help manage the local Small Business Assistance Center.
According to the program's website, the Bee Cave SBAC acts as a centralized resource center for local entrepreneurs and businesses to overcome the challenges created by the current health crisis. When the city library closed, its staff became the face of the center.
The Bee Cave library is one example of how librarians throughout Texas have chipped in during the pandemic. Other reports from Community Impact newspapers include:
- Round Rock library staff assisted people in finding ways to help their community, and a staff member helped answer calls from residents at the Round Rock Emergency Office Center.
- San Marcos library staff referred people to community-based resources.
- Georgetown Public Library staff helped those conducting job searches during the pandemic.
- Lake Travis Community Library developed an online version of a program to assist people with resumes, job searches, and other employment issues.
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| Screen shot of City of Bee Cave Small Business Assistance Center website. |
Tell us About Public Employees You Know
Do you know of a public employees that has gone above and beyond their duties in contributing to their local communities? Let us know about them in the comments section below.
Essential Roles in Our Communities
Those are just a few examples of the critical jobs public employees do for us. Some jobs are dangerous. Others receive little thanks. Many involve backbreaking work. But most are done with a dedication to the greater good that's often unmatched in the private sector.
Public employees, like the ones we've highlighted this month, often go the extra mile to contribute to their communities. TEXPERS urges you to go the extra mile in return and ask your local and state governments to ensure they receive their promised benefits.
To learn more about public pensions, visit our website, www.texpers.org.
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