Phil Gingrey: “I rise today to share one of the many inspiring stories of personal commitment and sacrifice that have occurred in the…”

“I rise today to share one of the many inspiring stories of personal commitment and sacrifice that have occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the Eleventh District of Georgia in the town of Marietta, my hometown, a community came together to rescue more than 30 hurricane victims from the Waldo Boys Home in Louisiana. It started when Marlene Murphy, an employee at InfoMart, a local company in Marietta, made a desperate appeal to her fellow workers. Marlene's sister and brother-in-law were counselors at the Waldo Burton Boys Home in New Orleans. They were stranded, along with many of the residents and staff, after floodwaters engulfed that city. Without wasting a bit of time, InfoMart employees, led by the company's president, Tammy Cohen, swung into action, taking on the cause as their own. The employees brought food, clothing, and necessities for the stranded boys. They notified the Coast Guard of the situation. Naval Air Station Atlanta's Captain Sean King and other leaders in the community quickly organized a mission to rescue these victims. InfoMart rented three passenger vans and a truck, and they started that long trip to New Orleans. On the way, there were plenty of reasons to turn back: 2-mile long lines for gas, police barricades, and even cars driving on the wrong side of the interstate. But these volunteers did not for a second think of themselves or their troubles.…”