Public Employees Go Above and Beyond Duty

Here are a Few Ways Public Employees Go the Extra Mile to Aid Communities

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.

Observance is a good time to remember that many public workers once served in the US military

By TEXPERS STAFF

Communities across Texas are observing Friday, Aug. 7, as National Purple Heart Day through various ceremonies honoring the men and women who were either wounded or killed while serving with the United States military.

The Purple Heart is a US military decoration awarded to those wounded or killed on a battlefield. On Aug. 7, 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army, created the Purple Heart. Formerly known as the “Badge for Military Merit,” the medal consisted of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the face in silver.

 

Many war veterans who were wounded and returned home went into public service as law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, educators, librarians, and other local or state government jobs. Military veterans have demonstrated a strong work ethic, and the ability to work in teams and in challenging situations, making them especially ideal candidates to work as first responders.TEXPERS asks its members to be sure and take the time to thank the Purple Heart recipients that may be active or retired pensioners of their funds.

 

Despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, the global virus that causes respiratory disease COVID-19, communities nationwide are finding ways to honor their Purple Heart recipients. In observance of National Purple Heart Day, states, counties, and cities paused to recognize the service and sacrifice of their local men and women who earned the medal. Veteran and military organizations also held remembrance meetings for fallen heroes and special events to thank soldiers, veterans, and Purple Heart recipients. American flags were flown at homes and businesses. And, people took the time to listen to soldiers and veterans to learn about their military experiences.

 

Here are a few of today’s observances in Texas:

 

• East Texas veterans were honored during a ceremony held by Communities Assisting Military Personnel for Veterans, or CAMP V on Friday morning. Former Purple Heart recipients were offered awards and were invited to share their experiences in battle. Face masks were required to be worn, and social distancing was practiced during the event.
• In Lubbock, a dedication ceremony included a plane flyover at the Regional Monument of Courage. Earlier in the week, Lubbock’s mayor and city council hosted a special event announcing the ceremony and issuing a proclamation asking the city’s residents to wear something purple and make an effort to fly their US flags.
• Texas Tech also hosted a ceremony to recognize those who have received the Purple Heart. According to the university, there are more than 70 Purple Heart recipients in the Lubbock area that includes several Texas Tech students. The university was the first Purple Heart University in the state, according to a local report.
• In honor of the national observance, the Texas Veterans Blog collected audio recordings of Purple Heart medal awardees who shared their experiences with the blog’s Voices of Veterans Oral History program. Their interviews are stored in the General Land Office archives, but many are available to listen to in the collection on the blog at Medium.com. The site is also asking other Purple Heart recipients to share their stories. Click the link above to find out how.

 

How You Can Take Part

Want to make your own dedication? Consider donating time and money to the Purple Heart Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, or other organizations that work with Purple Heart recipients.

 

Let us know how your local community celebrated National Purple Heart Day or tell us about a state or local government employee, first responder, or other public servant you know that received the medal.