Tyler Earns Sea of Goodwill Award
Posted/updated on: December 20, 2012 at 2:55 pm
TYLER – The City of Tyler has been recognized by Homeward Deployed, an organization supporting the successful transition of men and women from our armed services into civilian life, with their Sea of Goodwill Award. Presented annually, the Sea of Goodwill Award is given to a community that best demonstrates superior support in linking public, private, and governmental support for our Veterans and their families. Homeward Deployed formally presented the Sea of Goodwill Award to the community at a ceremony at the Tyler Rose Garden yesterday morning.
In recognizing Tyler, Homeward Deployed specifically cited the Mayor’s Veterans Roundtable. Established in May 2011, this initiative exists to further develop and implement a Community Blueprint for supporting and enhancing veterans services with a focus on employment, education, housing, medical care and mental health. “Since the creation of the Veterans Roundtable, tremendous progress has been made toward enhancing the relationship between Veterans, their families and the Tyler community,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass. “The members of the Roundtable have worked tirelessly to ensure Tyler’s Veterans have the resources they need available to them.”
“It says a lot about our community that we are working to ensure that those who have served have what they need,” said Roundtable Co-Chair, Veteran and Councilmember Ralph Caraway. “What better way is there to thank those who have done so much for us?”
Smith County is home to nearly 18,000 Veterans as well as a Super Armory and the Texas Veterans Home that opened in November 2011. The economic impact of Veterans to the Smith County economy is estimated to be $60.8 million annually. “The Roundtable has increased community awareness of Veteran’s needs,” added Bass. “It is truly promoting the City of Tyler as a place that really cares about our Veterans.”
“Veterans have service and sacrifice for others in their DNA and the Veterans and Community Roundtable gives them the opportunity to continue to serve in making things better, not only for our Veterans and their families, but for the entire community,” said Major General John T. Furlow, U.S. Army retired. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org for much more on this story.
