Girls Inc. children craft letters of gratitude to Irma responders

Girls Inc. members wrote, drew and bedazzled thank-you cards for some of Sarasota’s hurricane helpers.

By Anna Brugmann
| 9:04 a.m. September 19, 2017

Girls Inc. members made thank-you cards for first responders and local restaurants that assisted those without power in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

Sarasota
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After the sky cleared on Sept. 11, Sarasota exhaled a collective sigh of relief. The worst of Hurricane Irma had missed Sarasota, but there was still work to do.

Bella works on a thank-you card at Girls Inc. on Monday.

There were schools to clean, trees to clear from roadways, power to restore to 85% of Sarasota County residents.

And for Girls Inc. members, there were people to thank.

Girls Inc. members sat around long tables on Monday afternoon expressing their gratitude to a number of local hurricane helpers.

Gov. Rick Scott, Florida Power and Light repair crews, and Sarasota’s first responders were all represented on bright construction paper notes.

“It was really strong winds and they should have been with their family, but they chose to help other people,” Girls Inc. member Alexia said while she worked on her thank you card.

Members also thanked restaurants that gave away food or opened their doors early to provide food to those without power.

Jamie Minton, the organization's director of initiatives for kindergarten through 8th grade, said she wanted the girls to be aware of the helpers in Sarasota’s community. After watching parents board up homes and buy hurricane supplies, Minton said she wanted the girls to see what comes after.

“The girls saw the stress of it so they should see all the good that can come of something, also,” Minton said. “I wanted them to see how a community comes together in a time of crisis.”