On the outskirts of Philadelphia a mature, Bajan, single woman spends much of her time every day letting American military services personnel know they are loved and their sacrifices appreciated.“I want the soldiers and those serving in the Air Force and the Navy know we appreciate the job they are doing to protect the United States,” said Chairmaine J. Forde, 46, a resident of the suburb Bryn Mawr. “These men and women are doing a marvellous job protecting us in the United States and others around the world, and they should never be made to feel that what they are doing is forgotten or not appreciated.”That’s why the former student of Ellerslie Secondary School in St Michael who now attends the Community College of Philadelphia writes at least 140 letters every month to different members of the military serving in different parts of the world, especially Iraq and Afghanistan.
A linkIn her letters, birthday cards, congratulatory notes on the birth of a baby or words of comfort in case of illness or disability, the Bajan who works full-time in the Nutrition Department of the Bryn Mawr Hospital seeks to establish and maintain a link with people.But letter writing is only a part of what Forde does. She often sends care packages containing toiletries, snacks and other things she thinks the soldiers, Air Force men and women and naval officers indicate they need and she does it without thinking about the costs.“I believe it’s something I was put on earth to do and I bear the costs out of my pocket,” she said. “As a Christian I feel this must be done with satisfaction being my only reward. “No one helps me to pay for the stamps or to buy the items I put into the packages. They cost me about [US]$200 every month and I feel good about it. There is no tax relief or anything like that. At the end of the day I feel I have done well in the eyes of God.”Actually, Forde, who was born and raised in Wavell Avenue, St Michael, and came to the United States in 1981, gets the names and addresses of three soldiers every day from a national organisation called Soldier’s Angels, whose motto is “no soldier goes unloved”. As a member of a team of the Angels, the Bajan writes to them, telling them about things of mutual interest, current events, her job, school other things in which they would be interested. At every step she lets them know the importance of their tasks.
VeteransIn addition, she sends letters to disabled veterans across the country, people who may have lost limbs or were otherwise injured in combat. She sends care packages to them as well, expressing her appreciation of their sacrifice. Those letters are the result of an appeal by First Response, an organisation run by military chaplains.“It’s the least I can do,” she told the Sunday Sun.Forde, daughter of Doreen Noell, of Black Rock, and sister of Sophia Haynes, of Barbados, and Cheryl Noell, of Philadelphia, has written thousands of letters to military personnel beginning with the 1991 Gulf War in Kuwait and Iraq.“I live by the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who believed ‘you must be the change you want to see’. I want to see peace and caring.But there is more. Forde has responded to tragedies in Barbados such as house fires which have left families homeless. She has also contributed to appeals for help.“When I read the Nation and realise that some families have lost everything I feel I must act and I send cash donations to people in need,” she explained.That spirit of giving was recently present when students of Ellerslie were raising funds to participate in the Penn Relays track and field games in Pennsylvania.
Heart of gold“She is a woman who has a heart of gold,” said Vilma Bradshaw, administrator of the 1 528 member Ellerslie Group on Facebook. “I have never met her face to face, but we exchange notes and information on Facebook. She is a highly motivated person who likes to spread words of inspiration.”Pennsylvania’s Governor Edward Rendell, and United States Congressman Joe Sestek certainly think so. The state’s top elected official has given her an award for her philanthropic work and the member of the House of Representatives has publicly acknowledged her efforts.“I appreciate their kind thoughts and their acknowledgement of what I try to do. I certainly appreciate it,” she said.Christine Nicholls, a team leader of Soldiers Angels in Vancouver, Washington State, described the Barbadian as “one of the most enthusiastic members of our team. She is always willing and eager to write letters and send packages”.Dr Bert John, a noted New York psychologist, said that “obviously Ms Forde is a very sensitive and sincere person. What she is doing is powerfully symbolic”.
