— The News Courier encourages letters to the editor. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and should include a name, address and telephone number for verification. Submissions that do not meet requirements are subject to editing. Send letters by noon on Thursdays to P.O. Box 670, Athens, AL, 35613, or email to kelly@athensnews-courier.com.

Help veterans in need

Dear Editor:

I am writing I regards to the Friends of the DAV.

The Disabled American Veterans, chapter 51, in Limestone County is looking to organize a “Friends of the DAV” group. These will be people who wish to come together and help in efforts to assist needy veterans in our area.

There will not be any costs associated with joining this organization. There will be no dues or any other fees.

Anyone interested in becoming a member or helping in any way should contact Dannie Gilliam at 256-771-3225 or 256-230-6164.

Sincerely,

Dannie R. Gilliam

Commander

Disabled American Veterans, chapter 51

Thanks for holiday support

Dear Editor:

I am writing in regard to the community Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas dinner sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans and the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Thank you to these two organizations for the time and effort put into these projects. Second, thank you to all the merchants of Limestone County and the city of Athens who participated both with donations of time, money and items for the dinners and for the children.

I would also like to thank all of the bingo players who donated toys and other items for the stockings for the children at the Christmas dinner and visit with Santa. I would also like to give a special thank you to the bingo players for the monetary donations made for the family who needed stuff for Christmas.

Thanks to the many people who came and donated food items, made deliveries, and helped serve food. Thanks also to the Athens News Courier and the Decatur Daily for helping us to spread the word.

These events were both very successful and neither could have been carried out if not for the kindness and help from the volunteers. Limestone County is a great place to live and this was evident during the holiday season as everyone came together to make Thanksgiving and Christmas a great holiday for everyone.

Sincerely,

Dannie R. Gilliam

Commander

Disabled American Veterans, chapter 51

Thanks for dinner facilities

Dear Editor:

I would like to say a special thank you to the Disabled American Veterans, chapter 51, the Vietnam Veterans of America and Dannie Gilliam for allowing us to use their facilities for the community Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Also, I would like to say thank you for the donations of money, food and time made by Mr. Gilliam, Mrs. Dement, and the other members of these organizations.

I would also like to thank each and every one of the bingo players who donated toys, candy and money for the children’s visit with Santa. These people when asked are always willing to help when someone needs it.

And last but not least, thank you to the wonderful people of Limestone County and the merchants of the city of Athens who donated and helped make these two events a huge success. Thanks to the Athens News Courier also for helping spread the word.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Birdsong

Athens

There are good Samaritans

Dear Editor:

Amidst daily news of crime and corruption there also exist humbling acts of human goodness that too often go unreported. These invisible threads of hope interwoven throughout our community offer some of the best unexpected gifts we’ll ever receive.

A few months ago my husband dropped his wallet in a restaurant parking lot and didn’t realize he’d lost it until hours later. We drove back to the establishment to search for it but it was gone. The manager said he’d call us if anyone reported finding it, but we knew that was unlikely by then. When we got back home we began scrambling to protect ourselves, notifying our credit monitoring service and law enforcement, and canceling everything he’d been carrying. We didn’t care about losing the cash or credit card charges. I just prayed that we’d be kept safe even though the police assured us that people who steal wallets rarely want anything to do with the owners. No one turned the wallet in and we tried to get on with our changed life.

On a rainy day a few days later our doorbell rang. I peered through the peephole and only saw part of a large man outside our door. He was bending down like he was trying to hide from full view. Not sure what was going on, we called the sheriff’s office, told them about the stolen wallet and the stranger outside our front door. They advised us to stay inside and wait for an officer to come check things out. The large man disappeared then we waited wondering what might happen next.

Shortly afterwards, a deputy appeared at our front door informing us that he hadn’t seen anyone. He looked down and picked up a small object from our doormat—my husband’s wallet. I was stunned. Everything was inside including the cash. The deputy told us that rarely happens—that we’d been very lucky. I didn’t feel lucky, just grateful to be shown the existence of such a golden soul.

Later we found a small handwritten note from the stranger inside our mailbox telling us that he’d found our wallet at the restaurant and had left it at our front door. It was unsigned. He’d not even wanted any recognition for his good deed.

I no longer believe in Santa Claus. But, I do believe in the power of the simplest acts of kindness toward others as the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.

Sincerely, 

Julie Matherly

Tallahassee, Fla.