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Reporter
June 1, 2022
Donations help Olivia feed dogs at Monroe County Animal Services
Olivia Harris, almost 7, stands atop the small mountain
of dog food she brought to Monroe County Animal
Services on Wednesday. She asked for donations for the
dogs instead of presents for her birthday.
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County Animal Ser
vices welcomed Olivia Harris on
Wednesday, May 25 as she deliv
ered about 1,350 pounds of dog
food. That was half of the 2,700
pounds she bought with money
she raised with her birthday wish
to help local dogs who don’t have
permanent homes. She is do
nating the other half of the dog
food to Save A Pet animal rescue
nonprofit.
Olivia has just finished first
grade at T.G. Scott Elementary
and became 7 years old on May
31. When her mother asked
her what she would like for her
birthday, after thinking for a bit
and deciding there was nothing
she wanted for herself, Olivia said
she would like to give toys to the
dogs at the shelter. Her mother
suggested that food might be a
better gift for the dogs, and Olivia
agreed.
Olivia started telling people that
instead of gifts for her birthday,
she wanted donations to buy
dog food. Donations started
coming in; mom posted Olivias
request on social media and more
donations came. Olivia went to
Walmart and Tractor Supply and
bought dog food. When mom
thought she was finished add
ing up all the donations, Olivia
went to her room and added
money that had been given to
her separately for her birthday.
In response to moms question of
didn’t she want to use that money
to get something for herself, Ol
ivia was sure she wanted it to pay
for more dog food.
Becky Gilford, director of Mon
roe County Animal Services, said
that she is very appreciative of Ol
ivia’s generosity. It comes at a time
when the shelter is full, especially
since 32 dogs and puppies are
now being housed because they
were removed from unsanitary
conditions at a breeder location.
The USDA, which regulates and
oversees breeders, placed the
dogs at Monroe County Animal
Services. Many of them are too
young or too ill to be adopted,
yet. Some
puppies were
born at the
shelter after
the dogs were
removed from
the breeder.
Lisa, who
regularly vol
unteers at the
shelter, and
Lynn, who re
cently became
a member
of Monroe
County
Animal
Services staff,
agreed that
the dog food
is needed and
welcomed.
Although the
facility has
a budget to
pay for food,
donated food
means that
more money is available to pro
vide health care for the animals
as well as spay and neutering
services. Towels, cleaning and
disinfecting supplies and puppy
pads are also needed.
Olivia is the daughter of Lind
sey and Alex Harris. They and
granddad Chip Dunn helped Ol
ivia deliver the truckload of food
to Animal Services. They have
also been taking Olivia shopping
to buy the dog food. They plan to
make the delivery to Save A Pet
on Thursday.
Because some of the confis
cated dogs aren’t healthy, yet,
Olivia couldn’t visit with the dogs
in the kennels. But she quickly
made friends with Peter Davis,
the long-time shelter cat. Olivia
said she has two playful German
shepherds at home named Evee
and Kratos. When not in school
or collecting donations to help
dogs waiting for their permanent
homes, Olivia plays softball and
soccer.
Gifford said she has some won
derful volunteers who walk the
kennel dogs on weekends and
help in many ways at Animal
Services but could use more,
especially some who would be
available to exercise the dogs dur
ing the week.
Strict Observance Lodge
recognizes Ham for 65 years
Strict Observance
Lodge #18 in Lorsyth
presented Benson Ham
with his 65-year award for
continuous service to the
Masonic Order as a mem
ber of Strict Observance
Lodge #18.
A look at Ham’s service
to Monroe County makes
65 years look like a short
time to fit it all in. As an
attorney he served as
President of the Llynt Ju
dicial Circuit Bar Associa
tion and on the Board of
Governors of The Georgia
Bar Association. Ham was
a member of the Georgia
General Assembly for 10
years.
Ham served Lorsyth
United Methodist Church
in many capacities, being
a certified lay speaker for
over 40 years, teaching
Sunday School, being
president of Lorsyth
United Methodist Men
and chairman of the
administrative council of
the church.
Ham was chair of the
Monroe County Board
of Education, leading the
way in building a new
football stadium and the
new Mary Persons High
School. Ham played a ma
jor role in the location of
the Georgia Public Safety
Training Center and other
state offices and indus
trial projects in Monroe
County. He was president
of the Georgia Electric
Membership Corporation
board of directors and
President of the Coopera
tive Linance Corporation
at the national level.
Ham was a long time
supporter of the Boy
Scouts in Monroe County
and received the Golden
Eagle Award in 2011. He
was president of Mon
roe County Jaycees and
a leader of the Monroe
County Larm Bureau.
He served Lorsyth as a
municipal court judge.
The testament to his
dedication to the commu
nity and capable support
of it contains many more
entries.
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Pictured, left to
right, are Junior
Watts, John
Ambrose, James
Pritchett and
Ronald Norris.
Also present,
but not pic
tured, were Jeff
Wilson, Curtis
Jenkins and
Robert Garner.
(Photo courtesy
John Ambrose)
Brewton tells MC 8th graders to think of future
Motivator Jackie Brewton, center, talks with Monroe County Middle
School students between her presentations to 8th grade and 7th grade.
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County Middle School
8th graders had the chance to
hear motivational speaker Jackie
Brewton in an assembly on
Lriday, May 20, and 7th grad
ers got to hear “Miss Jackie” in a
separate assembly the same day.
The assemblies were arranged as
part of the Choosing the Best sex
education classes that are facili
tated in Monroe County Middle
School by the Pregnancy Center
of Monroe County.
Brewton spoke to Monroe
County students a few years ago,
before the pandemic, and those
who heard her speak were eager
to have her return to address a
new group of students. She has
been speaking to teen girls and
guys for over 20 years and is the
author of multiple books on sex
and relationships with the em
phasis on “bigger dreams, better
decisions, brighter destinies.”
Brewton said she found a mis
sion in urging teens to make bet
ter decisions after years of men
toring teen girls one-on-one.
She left a career with Proctor &
Gamble to concentrate on that
mission in 2001. What keeps her
motivated is the conversations
she has with students like those
in Monroe County that she
meets at her speaking engage
ments and the more than 17,000
letters she has gotten from teens
she has impacted.
Brewton’s talk is filled with the
experiences these teens have
shared and with the relevant
experiences of others. She tells
teens to concentrate on what
they can control— the
choices they make —
instead of what they
can’t control. She tells
them that grades mat
ter because they give
them opportunities for
education, and educa
tion matters because it
gives them career and
financial opportunities.
Brewton told the
story of Inky Johnson
who found his way out
of poverty with a schol
arship to the University
of Tennessee playing
football; his future
looked bright until a
football career-ending
injury paralyzed his
right arm. Refusing
to give up his dreams
of a better life, he has become a
sought-after motivational speak
er. Johnson said he is motivated
by learning from people who
do things wrong, by the desire
not to disrespect the people who
believe in him and by knowing
there is always someone who has
life worse.
Brewton told her listeners
to write down what they want
their life to look like in 10-15
years and to put that vision on
a mirror where they will see it
every day. She said to include
planning the family they want in
their lives. Then realize they can
get there if they keep that vision
in front of them as they make
decisions daily. Choosing to have
sex with someone they wouldn’t
choose to have as a lifelong part
ner is one decision away from an
accidental baby, a sexually trans
mitted disease or an emotional
hurt that will be with them for
the rest of their lives.
“You’re not born a loser, you’re
born a chooser,” said Brewton.
She talked of how social media
creates highlight reels of every
one else having a perfect life, and
urged the Monroe County stu
dents not to believe it. She said
she knows it’s hard in a world
where you can watch a play by
play of the party you weren’t
invited to on Snapchat, and it
always looks like everything is
wonderful. Brewton told them
to know it isn’t real and that in
real life you can’t erase it. She
gave multiple examples of teens
telling her they wished they had
known what wasn’t true before
they made choices that derailed
their dreams.
“When you write your story,
don’t give anyone else the pen,”
she said.
She em
phasized
that every
decision
they make
affects not
only them
but their
partner,
their
future
children,
their par
ents and
everyone
who cares
about
them. She
said
girls of
ten say
they
had sex because they were afraid
they’d lose somebody they liked.
“You may lose somebody you
really like, but you’ll never lose
someone who really likes you,”
she said. “Most teens are dat
ing their future ex. You’ve been
sold a bunch of lies that sex is an
inevitable part of a relationship”
Brewton said it’s important that
the 8th graders hear the message
before they enter the “jungle of
high school” at the lowest tier.
She said they aren’t hearing the
regrets that fill most of the letters
she receives from teens. She said
the biggest fear in life is rejec
tion, not death; the lies are what
were told we have to do not to
be rejected.
Brewton asked the Monroe
County 8th graders to raise their
hands if they were having sex or
knew a peer who was having sex
and almost all hands went up.
She asked if they know a peer
who isn’t having sex and not
quite as many hands went up.
She said studies show that actu
ally about 38 percent of teens
have sex and many who say they
are aren’t telling the truth.
“When you love someone, you
always do what’s best for them,”
said Brewton and asked if they
would give lottery winnings to
the person they’re dating. The
answer was no’ even when the
winnings were only $100. She
asked them to think about the
value they’re putting on their
bodies.
Brewton asked how many had
sent nude pictures of themselves
to someone on their cell phone,
and many raised their hands.
She told them it’s illegal, and it
isn’t smart.
“When you get to be an adult,
you don’t have as many options.
Bad choices take choices away
from you,” said Brewton. “Noth
ing in life is free.”
After the program Brewton
said that what motivates her is
a desire to save the next genera
tion. She said that teens don’t
realize how much power they
have over their own lives, and
she wants them to understand
that before they make choices
that take that power away.
She said she has seen so many
defeated seniors who have let
their choices not to make good
grades take away their choices
for higher education.
“I want to break some genera
tional cycles,” she said. “This is
my heart, a passion for me.”