Tornado Relief MONSON: A Letter from Governor Deval Patrick, June 10, 2011

Dear Friend,

Last Wednesday night, I stopped by and spoke briefly at the Monson High School graduation.  This was not my first time speaking to graduating students, but it was certainly one of the more poignant.

Monson was one of the communities hardest hit by last week’s tornadoes.  There was chaos and destruction across the entire town and surrounding communities.  The high school graduation was postponed for a week and, in addition to the graduates and their families, the entire town showed up.  Often at graduations, you see in the eyes of the seniors a nervousness and excitement about their future.  Though that was present, you could also tell most of the 103 graduates were looking backward as much forward, to what that community and their families had just experienced and how it had pulled them together.

Faith in our neighbors can help us rise up from disaster.  The bonds of community, love and common cause are stronger today in Monson and other damaged towns than any tornado’s destruction.   In Monson and across the state, we have come together as a Commonwealth.  In the last week, many of those Monson High students personally modeled that spirit of community.

As your Governor and your neighbor, I ask you to assist the families and residents so deeply affected by the June 1st storms.

Please consider making a monetary donation to the Massachusetts Statewide Disaster Relief Fund.   This effort, hosted by the United Way of Tri-County, can be found online at http://www.unitedwaytri-county.org/disaster

To volunteer your time or donate products or equipment, I encourage you to use the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Donations Management System at http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/FEMA/http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/FEMA/.

Together we will rebound, rebuild and renew, and become an even better, stronger Commonwealth.  Thank you.

Deval Patrick

N.B. Note from Marash Girl.  If you live locally (in Newton and surrounding area), I will be driving out with relief supplies several times a week.  Please send your contact info and I will get in touch with you.  Thanks.  Let's help those who have nothing.  They're in need of as new contemporary clothing, male or female, adult or child clean and neatly folded, unopened sundries (soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sunscreen), as new children's toys, bottled water.