Iron Oak Members
Volunteered in Storm

Charles W. Somerville
The following was typed in by Baird Stafford. We of Iron Oak are deeply indebted to Baird for his effort. Thanks, Baird!
I guess it's a good thing I don't have to make my living as a clipping service: I completely missed this one. It was in the "Letters to the Editor" section (which explains why I missed it: that's one of the sections I shun religiously, for the good of my blood pressure) of the issue of Florida Today for 22 November 1994. My thanks to the kind soul who pointed it out to me. Copyright Florida Today. It is posted here without the permission of Florida Today.
I met a remarkable woman during Tropical Storm Gordon. I was doing some volunteer work with animals that had been injured in the storm. She and some of her friends also were volunteering.

I have not seen a group of people so quick to help out. The work was not glamorous. We didn't handle the animals ourselves, but rather dealt with dirty laundry that lined the cages, and cutting up food.

Some of the local media have done stories on her plight. I had felt for her then, but that grew as I got to know her in those few hours we worked together. I learned that she is a woman of uncommon integrity. She stands true to her beliefs, even though some of her neighbors wish she would just go away.

She is the Rev. Jacque Zaleski, the leader of The Church of Iron Oak in Palm Bay. She has become famous because a few neighbors decided they didn't like people chanting in her back yard.

The solution they came up with was a zoning violation. At stake is the right of freedom of religion and the right to assemble. America becomes weaker when we start taking these basic rights away.

While we were talking, she told me that by the very nature of her religion she felt she should help. Animals are as sacred to her as is human life.

I have the utmost respect for this woman for volunteering, and for standing by what she holds as true.

I cannot help but wonder if any of her neighbors gave of their time the way she did.