Thomas was honored for her activities, both in school and through an after-school student group she leads, in supporting the Red Cross’s Military Emergency Services Division. While the Red Cross is best known for its disaster relief efforts, it also provides services to men and women in the military, such as money for travel or assistance with communication with families.

North Syracuse is close to a couple of military bases, so many students there have relatives serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. She originally started a support group for such students during the first Iraq war, then got it going again after Sept. 11th. “I knew the kids were feeling pretty insecure after that,” she says. The group has since expanded to include other students who have no family military connections.

The military support group at Gillette Road Middle School, where Thomas works, meets monthly to work on activities; many of them focus on service members at medical centers in the United States. They write letters and send pictures and supplies to medical centers, as well as raise money for various Red Cross efforts, including hurricane relief.

One annual highlight at the school is USA Day, which is held in May and includes presentations by the Red Cross as well as all the branches of the military and other organizations.

The hero nomination and award came as a surprise to Thomas, who was honored at a community ceremony in Syracuse. “I’m happy to do what I do, but when I see what other award winners have done, those are the real heroes,” she says. “But I am very happy to have the teaching assistants get some notice for the things we do after school and our outside activities.”

As donations come in, so do thanks from members in the Gulf region.

“I have not allowed myself to cry in fear I would weaken during this ordeal,” wrote Cindy B. “But receiving this check today made the tears flow.”

“Thank you so much for the check,” wrote Lisa S. “It was a great morale boost in this lean and scary time. Like so many other United Teachers of New Orleans members, I am displaced and unemployed, wondering when and how I can return to work in the city I love.”

Ten thousand AFT members have applied for the $500 AFT grants. “The top priority of this relief effort is to help people rebuild their lives, their schools and their community at large,” AFT president Edward J. McElroy says.

All disaster fund donations—which are tax-deductible—are used to provide direct assistance to members. No funds are used for administrative purposes.