Woodbury residents came together this week to begin the process of becoming a Yellow Ribbon City.
Mayor Bill Hargis welcomed the crowd and introduced the evening's guest speaker; State Adjutant (and Woodbury resident), Major General Larry Shellito. Shellito spoke of how good it made him feel when he walked into his neighborhood grocery store to get bread and eggs and walked out with four "thank you for your service" comments from other shoppers.
Woodbury's point man for their Yellow Ribbon effort is Senior Master Sergeant Darrin Ewing, currently the Acting First Sergeant of the 210 Engineering Installation Squadron. Ewing and his wife Susan, also Woodbury residents, spoke at Monday night's event about what needs military families have.
"You very much rely on your network of family and friends. To know that you could rely on your community would be wonderful," said Susan. Darrin Ewing has been deployed 11 times, most recently in 2007.
Becoming a Yellow Ribbon City is a process in which community leaders synchronize efforts and build and enduring network of support for Servicemembers and their families throughout the deployment cycle. It starts with an initial event for community leaders to include elected officials, business owners, clergy, educators and youth organizations, medical service providers, public safety and law enforcement, social service providers and Veteran organizations.
Nearly 3 dozen cities, two counties and one region are currently working towards becoming a Yellow Ribbon Communties.
Officer Candidate Melanie Nelson
Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs
