News
On January 3rs, 2002 Mayor Randy Garrett was awarded a Quilt of Valor. “A Quilt of Valor® (QOV) is a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted. It is awarded to a Service Member or Veteran who has been touched by war. The Quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.” Learn more about Quilts of Valor and how you can nominate a service member or veteran by clicking on this link. https://www.qovf.org/
Join us in Monroe, Georgia for the Monroe Blooms Flower Festival. The festival will be held in Downtown Monroe from 8:30am to 4:00pm. There will be creatives classes, workshops, vendors and special decorations. Also, there will be a wonderful celebration of Moina Michael and poppies at the Davis Edwards House (238 N Broad Street. Enjoy a beautiful Saturday filled with flowers. and stop by the Davis-Edwards house!
Thanks to each and every one of you we have achieved our goal of raising $16,000 to purchase an all-terrain wheelchair for a deserving veteran. We are partnering with the Independence Fund to present the chair. We have sent the money to the Independence Fund.
As you know we have been working toward this goal for over four years. We greatly appreciate your support and encouragement.
This month for our spotlight, we would like to recognize Randy McElwee. Not only did he serve his country via his military service, he is still giving back to his community by offering training in various ways.
"I joined the Army in Nov 1983 and served in the United States Army for 23 years. I spent the majority of my military experience in service with 3rd Ranger Batallion and with 5TH Special Forces Group.
As a young man from a small West Virginia town I joined the Army because I wanted to challenge myself and see the world. It turned out to be a life changing experience and a decision I've never regretted.
I retired in 2005 after serving my last assignment at the University of Georgia Military Science Dept. Since retiring I am the owner / director of American Black Belt Academy in Athens and serve as the Director of the Special Operations Combative Arts Association."
Randy has almost twenty years Special Operations experience. Awarded the Legion of Merit for service that included action as the senior NCO responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of a Joint Chief of Staff directed special category classified project. He has been training and teaching Martial Arts for 17 years. His unique instructional experience includes; appearing as a featured author in Black Belt Magazine and featured Instructor in the Special Operations Combatives Instructional Video / DVD Series.
Randy is also the creator of SAFE, a women's self defense class that teaches women to Resist, Escape and Defend. He first thought of designing a course for women's self defense when he was teaching self-defense based martial arts at the University of Georgia. One of his female students told him that a technique she learned in class saved her from assault, and he was inspired to pass on his vast knowledge of self defense to more women.
Randy McElwee
Director
American Black Belt Academy www.athensjiujitsu.com
(706) 549-1671
Thanks to everyone who came out to our interest meeting on Saturday, November 12th! We had a great time crafting poppies and talking about the future of our organization. I wanted to give all who could not make it a synopsis of what we talked about and invite your input.
In the new year, we want to start with monthly volunteer opportunities so we can grow as a group and help the veterans in our community. We are looking for any ideas that you may have on ways we can volunteer, but do ask that they be free or nearly free as all our funds are currently going to purchase the all terrain wheelchair.
As you may know, we are currently partnered with the Georgia World War I Centennial Commission, a group sanctioned by the Governor to organize commemoration ceremonies, etc. to remember Georgia’s involvement in World War I. They will be including Moina Michael in their celebrations and want our involvement. As of right now, the Department of Transportation will be planting poppies from Athens to Monroe in 2018! This is a great opportunity for us to help help educate our community on Ms. Michael’s legacy and how the Moina Michael Poppy Project is continuing her work. We welcome any ideas on how we can participate in this exciting moment in time.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Emily
This month, in honor of Veteran's Day, we are turning the spotlight on a very important aspect of our supporter base -- Veterans.
Allow me to introduce you to Alexandra Melick. Here is a bit about her and her service:
My name is 1Lt Alexandra Melick and I am currently serving as the Assistant Officer in Charge of the 357th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.
I started my journey towards becoming an officer by joining Air Force ROTC at Valdosta State University in South, Georgia, while accomplishing my master's degree in 2010. I commissioned in May of 2013 and went active duty May of 2014. My first duty station was Royal Air For Lakenheath in the United Kingdom which was an amazing experience working with foreign nationals and the mighty F-15 Strike Eagle. I PCS'd to my second duty station here in Tucson in May of 2016 and currently oversea 220 maintenance professionals and 30 A-10's as the only active duty A-10 training squadron on this base. I have always been extremely patriotic but had never seriously considered the military as an option until I made friends with several Cadets going through ROTC and it made me think that this could be a possibility for me. Once I headed down this path I never looked back. This is the best possible choice I could have made for my life and I love coming to work everyday and serving alongside the best of the best. We recently returned from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where we took 14 A-10's and 133 Maintenance Professionals to help give our new pilots a taste of combat experience. We provided them opportunities to experience close air support by participating in simulated combat scenarios with the Army, as well as, supporting the Weapons School. All in All, it was an amazing experience and we had 12 Superior Performers coined by the Green Flag Commander on our final day. This is just a small part of what I get to experience on a regular basis and it is one of the many things I love about my job.
One thing I think the Air Force does better than most is that we recognize the importance of our people and we take care of them while in the service! Always striving to abide by the great motto "People First, Mission Always"!
Unfortunately once they leave the service, we are not as great about caring for their needs! I greatly appreciate organizations, like yours, that work with veterans to help make their lives better. I am proud to serve along side the men and women of the United States Air Force and I am honored to serve alongside the dedicated workers of the Moina Michael Poppy Project.
-Alex
Hi There!
Its Emily. I just wanted to let you all know about an upcoming interest meeting that has been planned for November 12, 2pm - 4pm at the Good Hope City Hall. We’ve handed out fliers at the Good Hope Poppy Festival to all those that might be interested in joining the Moina Michael Poppy Project. We’ll be talking a bit about what we do, how we go started, and where we are going in the future. This will also be a “crafting party” so please bring your glue guns, sequins, and felt!
I hope that in the coming year we can take part in a few volunteer activities that would help our local veterans in the Athens area and will help build a sense of comradery amongst our group. And it would let me see your smiling faces that I’ve missed since I moved to McDonough!
I hope all can come and greet any new folks that come to join us on November 12! Bring ideas about volunteer opportunities with you!
See you then,
Emily
Hello everyone and Happy Summer!
As you probably noticed, the Moina Michael Poppy Project took a hiatus during Spring as many of our members were busy with life obligations. It’s summer now and we are back in full swing and look forward to many new and exciting opportunities coming our way.
The biggest thing we have coming up is the 2nd Annual Moina Michael Birthday Bash on August 20 from 11am to 2pm at VFW Post 2872 (835 Sunset Drive, Athens, GA 30606). We have lots planned for this event: cake, storytime and crafts for the kids, information booths from our supporters and fellow Moina Michael enthusiast and the list just goes on. Did I mention there will be cake?!
We encourage all that are willing to donate to our Moina Michael Birthday Bash 2016 Crowdrise. All funds donated through this link will go directly towards our purchase of an all-terrain wheelchair for a Georgia veteran. Over the last three years, we have been working closely with The Independence Fund through whom we will purchase this wheel chair. These all terrain wheelchairs will give a paralyzed veteran a chance to be independent again, enabling them to traverse the type of terrain a regular wheelchair would would not withstand.
Please help us honor Ms. Michael on what would have been her 147th birthday by attending our party and by donating to the Moina Michael Birthday Bash 2016 Crowdrise. We look forward to seeing you on August 20th!
Emily
This month we are focusing a very important part of our supporter base: Partners!
We have forged a very meaningful partnership with a local business, Revival Yarns.
Revival Yarns is a welcoming place in Athens, Georgia where knitters and crocheters can gather, be creative, hone their crafts, and buy their favorite yarns. Revival Yarns was founded in 2014 by co-owners Lindsay and Cara. Lindsay and Cara met in their neighborhood knitting group. It was during these knit nights that the need for an in-town Athens yarn shop became clear, and the idea for Revival Yarns was born.
"Here at Revival Yarns we offer quality products and services at reasonable prices, but customer service is what’s most important to us. We strive to make Revival Yarns a comfortable, welcoming space for fiber artists of all genders, ages, and skill levels.
The whole reason we are here is because we love this stuff, and we want you to too!
Revival Yarns is honored to partner with the Moina Michael Poppy Project (MMPP)! The MMPP is run by women with huge hearts, who not only want to preserve the memory of a local hero, but to continue her legacy. Helping disabled veterans via the Independence Fund is just one of the ways the MMPP hopes to help veterans. We can’t wait to see how this group grows as the love and generosity they spread becomes contagious. We are honored to support them in any way we can… plus we love those knit and crochet poppies! ;)"
If you are out and about and get a chance, stop by and see them! The shop is so cozy and the Lindsay and Cara will take good care of you!
A very warm THANK YOU goes out to Revival Yarns for their support!
Info: 297 Prince Avenue, Suite 17 | Athens, GA 30601 | phone: 706.850.1354 | email: info@revivalyarnsathens.com
Still struggling with what to give that person who has everything for Christmas? Consider giving a donation to the Moina Michael Poppy Project in their honor! They will feel great knowing that your gift has gone to veterans in need and helped MMPP reach its goal of buying an all-terrain wheelchair for a disabled veteran.
Visit our Take Action page or contact us today to find out how!
Happy Holidays,
Emily, Marie & Tina
