Bird Receives ServeMontana Award

St. Marie resident Jackie Bird was honored with a ServeMontana award presented by Governor Steve Bullock, First Lady Lisa Bullock and the Montana Commission on Community Service on May 10 in Helena. She was one of seven individuals honored with a ServeMontana award throughout the state.

ServeMontana Awards recognizes individuals and organizations who, through their dedication and commitment to community service, have greatly enhanced civic life in Montana. These individuals and organizations represent the best in positive community change through service, volunteerism and community leadership. The honor ceremony also included recognizing those who won First Lady School Nutrition Awards, including the Wolf Point School District who received the School Nutrition Team of the Year award.

Bird was nominated by Rod Karst of Glasgow for her work the past 13 years putting together care packages for military men and women overseas through the St. Marie Women's Club Troops Project. "I came home one day and had messages from Helena and Rod telling me I won this award. My first thoughts were 'Really! Thanks Rod!'," laughed Bird.

Bird was recognized for her dedication and time in collecting items to include in the packages, soliciting donations, tracking down names and addresses, packaging the items and then sending them. She has also dedicated time to fundraising, purchasing needed items, sharing her story and organizing everything for shipment.

The St. Marie Women's Club Troops Project is starting its 14th year and they are 55 packages away from shipping 2,500 packages since its inception. It currently costs $18.45 to ship a package to the troops and it costs $50 to fill a box. "I could not do this without the community's support," said Bird. Items included in the package include food, games, water balloons, frisbees, and even copies of The Glasgow Courier. "I like to send a little bit of home," stated Bird.

She obtains names and addresses of those serving overseas from loved ones and ships packages to anyone overseas, even if there are no ties to the Valley County community. It's not uncommon for the soldiers to write back to her, expressing thanks for the goodies sent. "I had a solider write to me to tell me the water balloons I included in the package helped keep the sand out of their rifle. That obviously was not the intention of sending the water balloons to him. Finding that out, just gave me goosebumps," recalled Bird.

Receiving the award from Governor and First Lady Bullock was an "experience she never thought she would have," but is humbled by the recognition. "I really do it for the troops," said Bird.

The St. Marie's Women's Club will be hosting a bake sale at 220-C Spruce during the annual St. Marie Community Yard Sale on June 1 to support the ongoing project.

If you would like to assist Bird with this endeavor or would like to provide her with a name and address of a loved one serving overseas, she can be contacted at 406-524-3364.