FONDA, NY - Since the onset of COVID-19 Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Rick Sager has been busy fielding voicemails from residents searching for supplies, so it came as a surprise to hear Retha Rochelle, a Montgomery, AL resident looking to donate her last box of examination gloves to a complete stranger.
William Rochelle, a 16-year-old from Montgomery, AL, pictured with the box of gloves he mailed to New York to assist healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was listening to the voicemail with my wife in the room and she started crying,” Sager said. “It wastouching.”
Rochelle and her 16-year-old son William Rochelle follow New York State in the news. They were inclined to help after seeing the chaos caused by COVID-19 and the need for crucial supplies such as masks, gloves and gowns.
She said her son “has a heart of gold.”
“I wish I had more gloves to send to New York, but this one box is all my mama and I could find,” William Rochelle said. “She had originally purchased the gloves for us, but when I saw a nurse on TV begging for help and I heard your Governor say, ‘Help us today and we will help you when it’s your turn.’ I wanted to do something to help. I wasn’t sure you would want the one box, so my mama called a number we found online. We selected your county because of the similarities with “Montgomery”. I just wish I could do more,”he continued.
Retha Rochelle said they googled “How to help New York” and received a page that listed every county in the state. Since they too, live in Montgomery County, it was an instant connection. Rochelle was directed to Sager’s number at the office of Emergency Management and left a message explaining how her son would like to donate their last box of gloves.
“I know that you guys need help, really, really bad, more so than we do here in Alabama,” Rochelle said in the voicemail.“We are just so proud of how you are handling things there, we watch you on the news often,” Rochelle continued.
Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Rick Sager pictured with the box of gloves donated from William and Retha Rochelle.
Sager sent the message to County Executive Matthew L. Ossenfort because he felt like such a thoughtful gesture needed to be shared.
“The amount of support we have received from our community is incredible,” Ossenfort said. “Now, this family, who lives over 1,000 miles away is also contacting us to help. It’s just amazing. Throughout this entire situation we have been trying to remind everyone that we are stronger together in Montgomery County. I guess this goes to show, it doesn’t matter which Montgomery County you live in, we are all able to unite as one and assist each other during a time of need.”
Retha Rochelle was excited to hear the call back regarding the gloves and placed them in the mail the next day. Her son even included a note that said “Stay Safe” and sent this message via email:
“Please tell the workers even though they are thousands of miles away, we hear them and we are proud to know how much they care for others, that they are willing to risk their own lives.”
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