"On an
Assignment
from God!"
By Dean M. Shapiro
In 2008, when Tracey Powell was
a civilian employee at the former
Marine Corps facility on Poland
Avenue, she was asked to assist
with their Toys for Tots program by the
base’s Lead Coordinator. Little did she
know that she would still be involved
with the annual holiday toy giveaway
10 years later. And not only is she still
involved in it after so long, but she is also
“loving every minute of it.”
“In the beginning, it was just me
volunteering. Now I am convinced that I
am on an assignment from God,” is how
she described it.
A native New Orleanian now living and
working in Biloxi, Mississippi with the
U.S. Air Force, Tracey exemplifies the
spirit of “giving back” to the community
selflessly and without expectations of
awards or monetary compensation. And,
best of all, she has done it in a way that
brings smiles to a lot of faces – especially
young faces from needy families during
the holiday season.
Currently the lead coordinator for the
Toys for Tots programs in Mississippi’s
George and Jackson counties, Tracey
also remains deeply committed to the
New Orleans toy giveaways as well.
She is heading up this holiday season’s
programs in New Orleans East and
Uptown on two weekends in December.
Her giving spirit doesn’t end there,
though. Four years ago, she started
a nonprofit organization called New
Orleans Solid Rock Foundation which
donates goods to needy adults and
families.
How does she do all of this and still
manage to hold down a fulltime job and
be a caregiver to her 84-year-old mother
who has Alzheimer’s?
“Most of the events are held on the
weekends and the paperwork is done in
my office at home,” Tracey explained,
quickly acknowledging those who assist
her in the multitasking she juggles with
her charitable work. “My board members
(Yolanda Roberson, Patrick Roberson,
Cynthia Solomon, Santra Perdue, and
Sheron Mcgary) are the best. We all
Tracey
Powell
Shares
the
Joy of
“Giving
Back”
PHOTOS BY BIONCA FLOT SYKES
work so well together.
“I also have great volunteers from
various organizations in New Orleans
and Mississippi and I have nurses caring
for my mom from 7:00 am to 6:30 pm
every day of the week,” she added.
A 1983 Xavier Prep graduate
with a degree in Criminal Justice
Administration from National University
of La Jolla, California, Tracey has spent
most of her working years performing
a variety of federal jobs. Starting with
the Center for Disease and Control in
Ohio, then the Marines, she moved on
to the Navy and most recently to the
Air Force. Consistent with her desire to
help people, she is currently a Work-Life
Technician, hosting briefs with Airmen
who are moving on to new bases and
assisting them in whatever way she can
to ease their transitions.
But Tracey’s greatest joy comes from
seeing the happy faces on the children
who get to pick and choose their own
toys – without the help of their parents –
during the annual holiday giveaways.
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