First Friday Briefing

Family Support Begins Program to Handle Donations; Riding Camp Applications Being Accepted

Due to the enormous outpouring of items collected on behalf of deployed Georgia Guardsmen and their families, the Family Readiness Office is coordinating a program for items being donated, said Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia’s Army Guard commander. The new programs allow community groups to collect appropriate items for distribution to the families of deployed soldiers, and makes sponsoring organizations responsible for collecting, sorting and transporting these items, Nesbitt said in a recent memorandum.

Nesbitt said the Family Readiness Division of the Directorate of Workforce Development is coordinating the new collection program. Barbara McCaa, ESGR manager, said calls and inquiries from individuals or groups offering support should be directed to Master Sgt. Darenda Rogers at 404-624-6093.

Sponsoring organizations will be directed to take the items they have collected to the appropriate armories or family assistance center where the items will be made available to soldier’s families through the various Family Support groups.

Nesbitt said armory staffs have been asked to cooperate with this effort by accepting the bulk delivery of the donated items from these groups. They have also been asked to provide temporary storage pending distribution to the families. Rogers, McCaa said, will work with the donating groups and armory staffs to coordinate the drop-off of donated items.

For information on the summer riding camp, interested parents should call the Family Readiness office at 404-624-6454. This is the second year of the program and there are specific requirements for parents and children who wish to register. Information is also available on the GaDOD website.

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