403rd delivers joy during the holidays

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Brian Lamar
  • 403rd Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Nestled on a hillside above the economically depressed city of Frederiksted, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a little boy sits staring with big brown puppy dog eyes with an expression on his face that conveys pure sadness.

The staff at the Queen Louise Home for Children say that Quinton is an unusually quiet boy and shies away from playing with the only other boy at the Home his age. He just sits and stares, watching faces and searching for something, maybe a new home or maybe just something fun to do or something to smile about.

On Dec 12, Quinton smiled. It was a crooked little smile. It was a transformational smile that morphed the three-year-old's face into something new. Quinton had found some joy in a single moment when he saw a new bicycle that Senior Master Sgt. Paul Wood rolled into the Queen Louise Home for Children complete with training wheels. It was pink and designed for a girl, but he didn't care. Quinton was going to ride.

Since 2008, Airmen with the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base have been regularly volunteering their free time to carry donated items to the home during the annual Roll-up and Roll-out missions on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is the forward operating base for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters".

Pam Wood, 403rd Wing spouse, who is described as the originator and brains behind the operation to help QLHC, received a letter thanking her and the members of the 403rd who donate year after year from Lutheran Services, the parent organization for QLHC.

"Many times you hear in the news how negative people are, and being a non-profit organization, we just get to see how giving people are," said Junia Straker, Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Social Services. "I am just always so amazed at how people can give to people they have never seen," Straker said when describing the selfless donations of Pam and other members of the 403rd.

This was the sixth year that Paul, an avionics supervisor with the 403rd Maintenance Group and also known as a real-life Santa Claus to the children at the home, has been making regular donations there. As he closes in on a retirement date next year, Paul reflected on how it all got started.

It all started one day six years ago (2008), when Paul came home from a trip to St. Croix and was describing to his wife what they did on the island during their down time. "I was describing the restaurants and the hotel then she asked me what are you guys doing to help the people on St. Croix," Paul said. "I didn't have an answer. I started asking around and finally found out about Queen Louise," he explained.

After his wife gave him that inspiration, Wood began collecting donations and eventually was able to tailor donations to specific needs.

"Last year we raised enough funds to buy a washer and dryer that was badly needed at the home. We had some money left over so we also were able to buy a stove," Paul explained.

Over the years, appliances, money, clothes, toys, books, hard-to-find food items and decorations have been given to the staff and the children at the Home.

According to Paul, not everyone has it as easy as he does and he would hope that if he or someone he loved were in dire need, someone would extend a helping hand. "That's why we do it. Not to feel good about ourselves and not to get attention, but to just be there when someone needed us," Paul explained.

"There are many reasons the children end up at Queen Louise," said Dianna Arthurton, Co-Director of QLHC. "Over the years, Mister Paul has helped all of the children that he has come in contact with and his work has made a huge difference here," she said.

Even though Paul plans to retire in 2014, he said he still has plans to try and find a way back to the island with his wife and continue his work with the staff and children in another way.