PSRW: Sare Giberson

LIMESTONE, ME, UNITED STATES

05.05.2020

Story by Michelle Young 

Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Public servants come in many shapes and forms and are born for a variety of reasons. Volunteers like Sare Giberson are willing to give their time and talents selflessly, regardless of the catalyst that started it.

Giberson, a DFAS employee of 13 years, works for the Accounting, Standards and Reporting/Accounting Mission Area on the Accounts, Maintenance and Control team at DFAS Limestone. However, her life took a sharp turn following a tragedy in 2013.

Giberson's 19-year-old daughter, Abby, was in a car accident on Oct. 27, 2013. Because of the injuries she sustained in the accident, they had to transport Abby to a larger hospital via a life flight. "We were not able to go with her and had to drive to the hospital, which is about three hours away," Giberson said.

With only the things they had with them at the time, which was just a purse, they made the three hour trip to the hospital. "Luckily, we were able to stay at the hospital as we waited to hear about Abby's condition," Giberson said.

"During those first few days after the accident, we did not have simple personal items like soap, shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush," Giberson explained. "We did not want to leave the hospital to obtain those items, not knowing what might happen if we left."

Abby would spend several weeks in the Intensive Care Unit before passing away as a result of her injuries. Even though she passed away her memory still lives on, thanks to her mother.

Giberson's experience of not having basic toiletries while at the hospital inspired her to help others going through similar situations. She teamed up with Abby's paternal grandmother, Connie Jarvis, and started Abby's Angel Bags.

These are handmade small cloth bags filled with personal items and toiletries. They also include a short note about Abby and offer words of encouragement to the recipient of the bags. Jarvis would sew the bags and help with distribution when they first started the project.

Jarvis moved to Florida several years ago. But, help was not far away, literally.

Giberson recruited her son Colby, 17, and youngest daughter Marissa, 15, to help with getting the bags ready and dropping them off to various locations. "Both my children will be attending college away from home in a few years and I am hoping to have more time to devote to the project," she added.

"When we first started the organization, we were giving the bags to local hospitals for families, such as ours, who had to drive to the hospital several hours away," Giberson explained.

"But luckily, those situations are not that common, so we started expanding the outreach of our project to assisting anyone who could use these items, such as the homeless and women and men in domestic violence transitional housing," she added.

At the time of her accident, Abby was the reigning Miss Northern Maine and one of her sister queens organizes a memorial pageant in honor of Abby every year in April. "The contestants bring in items for the bags, which keeps us stocked up with supplies each year," Giberson said. "Additionally, people that know me also donate items at different times during the year."

Her ambitions for the future are to "expand the area served by Abby's Angel Bags," she said.

To help out with the COVID-19 pandemic, Giberson is giving bags to local truck drivers, to make things a little easier them, because there are so many restrictions and shortages on shopping for personal items. Giberson and her organization also plan to donate bags to people in transitional housing and the homeless.

"I normally spend a few hours a month on Abby's Angel Bags, but lately, I've been spending several hours a week preparing and distributing the bags," Giberson said.

"I think others should get involved in public service because I believe the most fulfilling life lived is one in service of others. My goal in life is to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Public service is a great way to do that," Giberson said.

Giberson posts pictures and initiatives Abby's Angel Bags is doing on the organization's Facebook page, which can be found by searching for Abby's Angel Bags.

• Date Taken: 05.05.2020
• Date Posted: 06.24.2020 10:25
• Story ID: 369268
• Location: LIMESTONE, ME, US