Happy New Year from the women of the POC Service Club. A new start is always exciting. This new year brings plenty of opportunities to serve and volunteer in and around our community. The new library, the school, Chamber, community organizations and outreach efforts are all looking for helpful hearts and hands to work with them as they touch lives around them. The POC Service Club is constantly collaborating with others and sharing the load. The upcoming Gumbo cookoff, Chamber events such as the Crawfish Festival, benefits and such are only successful because POC folks work together. Maybe you would like to find a place to volunteer but you are not sure what you want to do. POC Community Service Club is a great place to start. We meet twice a month during the school year on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. at the POC Community Center. Ladies of all ages are welcome to visit a meeting and see if we might be a great fit for you.

The annual Sweetheart Banquet is coming soon. This special event is another collaborative project and a gift of love to couples young and old in POC. Find details in this edition of The Dolphin Talk. Other events are on the calendar and you will find all the details if you read the paper or web sites. The Service Club is continuing to accept donations of quality used household items for our annual garage sale. This and other fund raisers make it possible to award scholarships to local students and fund projects and outreach in Port O’Connor. The POC Service Club is committed to making a difference in our home town and you help.

Sadness and joy mixed thoroughly blended is one of the best things in life to teach us gratitude. Today with sadness I write an update of the Port O’Connor Service Club for the last time. For several years it has been my wonderful duty to report on their activities. But as I have shared before I am spending more and more of my time at Little Oak Tree Acres, our little farm in Live Oak County where huge live oak trees on a few acres with a big garden and chickens pecking make me feel at home. I get to POC regularly, but not regularly enough. I will miss sharing my love and respect for the women in the club with you, but I am leaving the task in good hands. With great joy I am sharing that Sam Burnett will be taking over chronicling the club in the future. She is smart, fun, creative and committed to the Service Club purpose in POC. You will enjoy her contributions. I will continue to spend time in POC often. This little community has a piece of my heart. David and I found great joy and dear friends here. So, I will see you down the road, but until I do, be safe, live simply, love openly, forgive generously and remember this quote by Luke who was a physician, social activist and disciple of Jesus who said in Luke 6:38:

“Give and it will be given to you, in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, it will be poured into your lap. For in the same measure you give to others will it be given to you in return.” If it feels like life is empty, find somewhere to give to someone and you will find your life is full to the brim. Thanks for letting me share life’s journey with you in the Dolphin Talk and elsewhere. blessings and love- Kelly Gee.