THANK YOU , Ms. Emma for giving Port O’Connor women the “little boost” we needed to “unite” and make it public just how truly BLESSED and PROUD we are to be living in this awesome, laid back, friendly and close knit community ! Hundreds of us have known it for generations. We have felt fortunate and proud to call POC home for years. Of course, our families, friends and many visitors have known about our “sisterhood” so to speak for decades. But, it took your letter in the March 9th, 2012 in the Dolphin Talk to make us realize we needed to get together and let the world know just how proud we are to be a “PORT O’CONNOR WOMAN.”

Sometimes we take things a little for granted and we don’t realize just how fortunate we are until someone or something questions that position; or lifestyle in our case. Your letter expressed just how great that lifestyle is. Yes our location is remote, and often times things are a bit inconvenient, but this is where we CHOSE to live and not many, if any women living here regret that decision. We all realize we share a common bond. If any of us need help, our POC sisters will be right there to help in any way they can. When one of us has a reason to rejoice, we are right there to rejoice with them. If one of us is hurt or is in mourning, we will be right there to share her pain and to comfort her. No problem is too big or too small for us. How many communities in the city can say that?

The letter on March 9th, answered the question from some out-of-town folks, “ What woman in her right mind would want to live in Port O’Connor?” Every POC woman who read the letter agreed upon the same thing. “What woman in her right mind WOULD NOT want to live in Port O’Connor?” We have women who own and operate their own businesses, we have teachers, nurses, real estate brokers, physical therapists, lawyers, administrative assistants, and a world renowned ornithologist, just to name a few professional woman who have made Port O’Connor their home. Stay-at-home moms, clerks, commercial fisher-women, house-keepers, wait staff, and an entire female staff at our Exemplary Elementary school have helped Port O’Connor prosper.

We don’t have to fight traffic for two hours each way just to get to work every day. We really have all the necessities we need right here at home. If we want to shop at an upscale mall, or boutiques, Houston is only 2 ½ hrs. away; Corpus Christi is only 1 ½ hrs. away, and many other large cities are within our reach.

Connie Barrientes, deli manager at Speedy Stop; Nancy Pomykal, Justice of the Peace; Joy Fryou, retired businesswoman. 2nd row L to R- Derri Hart medical transcriptionist, Memorial Medical Center,; Barbara Crouch retired school teacher. 3rd row L to R.– Sheryl Haynes , Current elementary school teacher. Emma Raby former paramedic/correctional officer , Mother & Grandmother.

Thanks to you, Ms. Emma, this group of awesome ladies is “silent” no more. We have decided to let the world know just how proud we are of our little village. We are now wearing bright pink and lime green T-shirts displaying our Port O’Connor Pride. Across the front of the shirt states “PROUD TO BE A PORT O’CONNOR WOMAN”. The logo is a Royal Blue Palm Tree with a happy yellow sunshine smiling down on the art work. We wanted to keep the logo simple, but classy. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the shirts is donated to the “Harbor”, which is a women’s and children’s alliance. The facility provides assistance to women and children who are victims of family violence, child abuse or neglect. We felt the Harbor team would be very appropriate to receive donations from this project. Women helping women, so to speak.

The response to the sale of the T-shirts has been tremendous. We created a “PROUD TO BE A PORT O’CONNOR WOMAN” group on Facebook. Within 24 hours of posting, we had more than 80 members join. Within one week we had more than a hundred members. Today, April 23, 2012 there are 214 members. The Facebook group is only two weeks old. ! WOW ! What kind of statement is that ? We have members from all over Texas, the United States and as far away as Great Britain. All those awesome women live here, have family here, a weekend home here, or have lived here . Many of out of town members say “they will always be a Port O’Connor Woman at heart.” We come in all ages, sizes, colors, and walks of life. But we share and will always share the common thread of being a PORT O’CONNOR WOMAN. What a wonderful BLESSING that is!

So, thanks again for bringing our attention to a long overdue project. I have always realized that I am PROUD TO BE A PORT O’CONNOR WOMAN, but it took your letter to make me and so many others realize the importance of voicing that pride. We will all stand together to let the world know that NOTHING will stop that pride and we will share it with anyone who ask what it means to be PORT O’CONNOR PROUD.

Note: Anyone interested in purchasing a PROUD TO BE A PORT O’CONNOR WOMAN T-shirt, just e-mail rstringo@tisd.com. Rose will fill your order and deliver or mail it to you. Also, please log on to Facebook; on the search at the top of the home page, type in ‘PROUD TO BE A PORT O’CONNOR WOMAN”. We have beautiful POC pictures, testimonials, and the original letter written to the Dolphin on March 9th. There is also an order form you may download and e-mail to Rose if you are interested.