If you would like to be part of making a child’s Christmas morning filled with smiles, call or come by POC Hardware and Supply and Adopt An Angel. We will be happy to do the shopping, boxing and wrapping for you if you do not want to do it (or we can box and wrap if you wish to shop), This year, due to the increase in the cost of…well, everything, we are asking that you spend or donate at least $125.00.

Toy are provided by the Freeport to Port O’Connor Toy run. Please, please, please spend your money on clothes, ect. thta are detailed in the letter with your Angel’s information.

Together we can help bring the magic of Christmas to not only these children, but to their families as well.
For more information, contact Judith Bowman at POC Hardware, Monday through Saturday anytime from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Phone number: 361-983-2708
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To Put a Child on the List:

With the Holidays right around the corner, it is once again time for the Adopt An Angel program to kick off. If you would like to put your child on the list, applications will be available for pick up starting November 1st at POC Hardware & Supply. If you have any questions, give Judith a call at 361-983-2708
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The DEADLINE to put a child on the list is Dec. 7th by 5:00 p.m. No Exceptions. It takes many people to make the program a success, so earlier is better. Please DO NOT wait until the last minute.

For a child to be on the list:

• Must be between the age of 0-5th grade.

• Must live in, or attend school in Port O’Connor.

Children can only be put on the list by a parent or guardian. Please DO NOT put relative’s children or grandchildren on the list unless they LIVE with you and meet the other requirements.

Strict confidentiality is maintained and even the kind souls who Adopt these Angels DO NOT know the child’s identity,

ELF Contact: Judith Bowman at POC Hardware & Supply
361-982-2708, Monday throuh Saturday, 8:00 a.m -5:00 p.m.

I love the season of Thanks and Giving—don’t you? Growing up on the Canadian border with New York State, the changing of the seasons always thrilled my soul. Each season gave way to the next in such beautiful ways. I’d love to tell you about it. One thing about those four seasons—they built anticipation and excitement into the daily lives of kids like me.

The slow dance of the trees as they traded their green apparel for the brilliance of red, yellow, orange, and purple signaled the coming winter. As the leaves left the security of their branches and slowly fell, the ground became a beautiful, soft carpet of colors. The aroma of those leaves in the fall filled the air with one of God’s most beautiful perfumes. All of these led up to my favorite time of the year.

Looking back, I love the season because of the warmth and comfort of home. Thanksgiving was a day filled with the aroma of roasted turkey, the sounds of laughter, and the joyous reunion of family and friends. I never felt more secure as a child than I did when I was with my family. I miss those days. My mom left this world in my 37th year of life and took with her some of the joy that filled those days. I will ever be grateful for her life.

As we gather around the table this holiday, let’s take a moment to reflect on the deeper meaning of Thanksgiving through a Christian lens. At its core, Thanksgiving is about gratitude. It’s a time to pause and count our blessings, recognizing the hand of God in every aspect of our lives. As we admire the golden turkey and the array of side dishes, let’s remember Psalm 107:1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” His provision is abundant, and His grace is unending.

As for me:
• I am so grateful for the welcome I have found in this town.
• I’m grateful for my church family at FBCPOC
• I am grateful for the men and women of the POCVFD.
• I am grateful for the smiling faces of the children and their teachers at POC Elementary School.
• I am grateful for the chance to serve the community in whatever way I can.

One of the most beautiful aspects of Thanksgiving is the opportunity to break bread together. In the same way, Jesus shared meals with His disciples, teaching and loving them through simple acts of fellowship. As we gather with our loved ones, we emulate this practice, nurturing not just our bodies but our spirits. So, pass the mashed potatoes and share a story or two about how God has moved in your life this year.

As we come to this season, be sure to give thanks to Him from whom you have life. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)

Have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving! We’ll talk again soon.

Brother Rich

Arranged in Order of: Most Handsome; Most Beautiful; Scariest; Most Original++

3 = 4 Year Olds
Cade Quirk, Delaney Alford,
Kaylan Ramirez, Miles Karnowski

Pre Kindergarten
Landon Chumchai, Lillie Gee
Aubrey Pompa, Brynlie Springman

0 – 2 year Olds
Hunter Hummel; Mariana Mapp;
Elna Gildon; Wyatt Vickery

Kindergarten
Silas Walker Delilah Alford,
Jagger Hobbs, Theo Gildon

2nd Grade
Reef Chance, Samary Garcia,
Penelope Gonzales & Josie Clark, Rhys McCauley

3rd Grade
Kai Chance, Lili Gildon,
Olivia Marlin, McKinley Gee

4th Grade
Isaac Striedel, Ava Adams,
Rainy Ragusin, Jacob Stryker

5th Grade
Joshua Zitzman, Mia Blanco,
Saydi Ramirez, Samantha Garcia

8th Grade – Adult Amos Zitman, Martha Patek, Scarlett Nance, Ava Reyes

1st Grade
Shivaay Patel, Ella Brannan,
Skyla Thumann, McKinley Dufner

So the 2024 election has come and gone, and judging by the public reaction to the candidates and the outcome, it was one of the most controversial and hard fought presidential races this nation has ever seen.

Outcomes are now in the history books rather than being something to be decided in the future and for most people they are either overjoyed or devastated that they did not get the results they desired.

Results are not why I felt compelled to write about an election day now past in this column; however, the reason I bring up politics at all is how we as Americans have been willing to treat each other daily since the divisions between neighbors started becoming commonplace almost a decade ago now.

America has always pushed to be associated with words like ‘freedom,’ ‘choice,’ and ‘democracy,’ words that encompass an entire range of thought and emotion, ideals that allow for you to speak your own mind, both personally and in public.

There is something to be said for the fact that while we do indeed have the constitutional right to speak our minds. sometimes we do so without realizing the damage we are doing in the process.

Since at least 2020, I’ve seen despairing comments and jokes made at both sides of the aisle and political belief spectrum and let me tell you it’s definitely both sides that have gotten a bit ridiculous, regardless of how I feel about the beliefs of either of them.

Trust me when I say I know it feels like the time to be defensive and a bit more aggressive about our political sphere today…we are assuredly in a moment where there is a push between two ideologies, and emotions are at a fever pitch level.

I’m not going into which politics I take as my own (to be honest to me a multi party system breeds division so I’m not a fan of the entire structure), because it does not matter what does matter is everyone that is here, everyone that is an American citizen has a right to think how they like and say what they want.

Disagreeing with what they say when they choose to say it should not breed hatred and most importantly not have us see the people around aa anything but what they are, people close to us who just happen to have a different world view than some of us.

There are exceptions to the above of course.

Saying things that have real world consequences in violence, blood, and anger and loss should be not silenced but squashed by the majority as undesirable and unwanted as soon as it hits the ‘floor,’ regardless of all other factors.

That is where I’m writing this from, not in an angry place if my ‘side’ [sic] lost or from a joyful place if my ‘side’ won or from a place where I cannot look at the majority of people around me and see enemies and not friends.

The results are in, the future for now is decided, let’s try to get back to being a country united at least in defense of those around us to be able to express ourselves freely and still be our fellow Americans, not our opposition.