HAMLET – With all the devastation from the recent hurricanes in southeast Texas and the Florida peninsula, two teenagers from Hamlet and one from East Rockingham decided they wanted to make a difference in the lives of those helping the hurricane victims.
Alexis Foushee, 13, and sisters Caela, 17, and Chloe Goins, 13, turned the heat up in the kitchen as they spent hours baking dozens of homemade cookies for soldiers who are currently helping in Florida with the hurricane relief. The girls also wanted to brighten the soldier’s day by writing notes of encouragement to go along with the cookies.
All three were motivated by a desire to assist in any way possible after hearing of the devastation and loss from Hurricane Irma.
“Baking cookies is small in comparison to the long hours the troops had been putting in to help others recover from the hurricane,” Chloe Goins stated, as she was covered in cookie dough.
“I want the soldiers to feel appreciated and to know others were thinking of them too,” Chloe added. “Sometimes we take our military for granted when it comes to assisting in disasters, and I didn’t want them to feel lonely or homesick.”
The Goins girls are no strangers to the military, as their father is retired from the United States Army as a military police soldier. They also have several other family members currently active within the military. Chloe also said she was very proud of her family who has served and is currently serving our nation.
Foushee has a great uncle in the Marines, and a grandfather who served in the Army. She wanted to help because it seemed the right thing to do.
“I can’t personally go down there to thank the troops,” Foushee said. “But I can do something small that I know will impact them in a positive way.”
The troops that received the baked goods were the Army Reserve soldiers from the 76th Operational Response Command and the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). These soldiers were working to help residents of Merritt Island, Fla., who were without power and had no fresh water.
Public Affairs NCO, Mark Bell with the Army Reserves at Fort Bragg, N.C., traveled with a convoy to Florida and was able to deliver the items to the soldiers. Bell is a friend of the Goins’ family.
