Recognizing service before self

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Breonna Veal
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Service members and their dependents received certificates for an accumulation of 26,833 hours of free time during calendar year 2013 at the base theater May 27.

These 10 volunteers presented Col. Kimberlee P. Joos, 17th Training Wing Commander, with a check for $594,082.62, which represents a savings in time and labor costs for non-profit organizations.

"For me, volunteering starts with a choice," said Joos. "You have a bank account of talents and a bank account of time. You choose how you are going to spend it. You also choose to share your talents wherever they are needed. That's what makes volunteering a beautiful thing."

The volunteer recognition event also honored civilians and military members by presenting them with the President's Volunteer Service Award.

The President's Volunteer Service Award is issued by Points of Light Institute and the Corporation for National and Community Service on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the best in American spirit and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation. The award is given to individuals, families and groups who have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation over the course of a 12-month period. Participants have to accumulate enough hours to merit one of three awards depending on age category, children: age 5-14, young adult: age 15-25, adult: 26 and older.

The wing recognized bronze, silver and gold service award recipients.

The bronze medal recipient is 1st Lt. Sharaye Jeffries, 17th Force Support Squadron. Jeffries donated 100 to 249 volunteer hours during a 12-month period.

The silver medal recipients are 1st Lt. Tamikka L. Williams and Airman 1st Class Aziz N. Sarbashev, 17th FSS, Rachael Preen, Marine Corps Detachment key spouse, and Airman 1st Class Zachary Wardle, former 315th Training Squadron student. These recipients donated 250 to 499 volunteer hours during a 12-month period.

The gold medal recipients are Senior Airman Alexander Bray, 17th Medical Operations Squadron, Staff Sgt. Robert Prince and Amy E. Prince, 17th FSS, and Ryan Prince and Emily Prince, Team Goodfellow members. These recipients donated over 500 volunteer hours during a 12-month period.

"Our Team Goodfellow volunteers are an excellent example of coming together and making new connections that bring people closer together, which is confirmed by the number of hours that are donated by volunteering both on and off base," said Kathleen N. Garrett, 17th FSS Airman and Family Readiness community readiness specialist. "The service members enhance the quality of life in this community and in numerous ways. They advocate for the abused, feed the homebound elderly, collect clothing for the needy, provide disaster relief assistance, help school children improve reading skills, mentor teens in need of role models, serve as Boy Scout and Girl Scout leaders, and the list goes on and on."