These public employees went the extra mile to serve their communities

By TEXPERS STAFF

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:

Deputy steps up to help senior citizen who hadn’t eaten in days

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office Deputy Leonard Galvan bought groceries for a 90-year-old woman who had not eaten in days.

ABC13 – Houston reported on July 31 that the elderly woman’s family contacted the precinct requesting a welfare check. Galvan responded to the woman’s home where he learned that the resident did not have any money to buy food. The deputy went to a store and bought the woman food and household products. 

Firefighters spend time with animal shelter dogs looking for new homes

On July 18, three members of the Waco Fire Department’s Station 8 crew spent some time with a couple of animals up for adoption at the Humane Society of Central Texas.

Devon McPherson, Matt Weise and Travis Brown met two shelter canines named Lewis and Clark. According to a Facebook post by the animal shelter, the firefighters spent some time petting and playing with the pit mixes during the “meet and greet.” Click the link to see photos of the firefighters with the dogs. The animal shelter used the photos from the animal “meet and greet” to spotlight the dogs for adoption.

Curbside Larry pitches social distancing service for library system

Harris County Library system's Barbara Bush Branch Library recruits "pitchman" to promote the location's curbside pickup services.

A video posted to the Harris County Public Library system’s Twitter page features Curbside Larry peddling books like a late night TV low-budget ad pitchman offering "crazy" deals on electronics. The character, wearing a cowboy hat and aviator glasses, touts the library’s features saying it has “shelves and shelves of books, Blu-rays and DVDS” for “free, free, free.”

“Best sellers … we got’em,” Curbside Larry shouts as he catches a book tossed to him from some unseen person off camera. The library’s phone number flashes on the screen. That’s just one scene from the video you can see in the link above or by clicking the image below.

Curbside Larry is played by Barbara Bush Branch Library employee John Schaffer. Texas Monthly reported on the video, which debuted in July, saying “Curbside Larry is the hero we need in these times.” 

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

Public employees fill an essential role in our Texas communities. Law enforcement and firefighters protect lives and property. Municipal workers repair our streets, maintain parks, assist library patrons, and ensure that our water is safe to drink. Educators help our children grow into adulthood.

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.

Many 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 public employees receive their promised benefits.

To learn more about public pensions, visit our website at www.texpers.org.