Grafenwoehr and Vilseck volunteers were honored at a Volunteer Recognition Ceremony April 28 at Rose Barracks. Pictured here is the check symbolizing the value of their service. The total dollar amount for their labor would equate to $1,359,157.52.
VILSECK, Germany — There are 460 of them among us here on-post and without them we are like a table missing a leg. They are busy at work. In just the last 12 months, they’ve logged 33 years’ worth of man hours. Over 240 on-post organizations currently use their services. And in the past year alone, the total dollar amount for their labor would equate to $1,359,157.52.
They are Grafenwoehr and Vilseck’s volunteers, and they are the lifeblood of our community.
On Thursday, April 28, they were recognized for their support and commitment at a ceremony here at the multipurpose center.
Organized by the garrison’s volunteer program manager, Foy Dix and the staff at Army Community Service, the event drew a large crowd of both volunteers and the beneficiaries of their services. Photos of the event are available on the USAG Bavaria Flickr page.
“Our community couldn’t do what it does,” Dix said to a boisterous, standing-room-only audience.
Grafenwoehr and Vilseck’s volunteers leave a lasting impact on the operability and success of the services and programs made available through the garrison and community, according to Dix. They shoulder many of the responsibilities borne out of such services and programs dealing with children, religious services and sports — to name but a few.
From March 1, 2015 to Feb. 29, 2016, Grafenwoehr and Vilseck’s 460 volunteers recorded 58,914 hours of service, said Kent Thompson, director of ACS.
“The criticality of volunteers gets magnified during times of downsizing because there are things we as a garrison just can’t accomplish. Volunteers stand up and fill those gaps,” said Garrison Commander, Col. Mark Colbrook.
And that’s no understatement. In the past two years, all volunteers at USAG Bavaria — to include installations at Grafenwoehr, Vilseck, Hohenfels and Garmisch — have logged more than 231,000 hours. Equate that to a monetary value and it comes out to over half a billion dollars saved.
“For as long as we’ve had the U.S. Army, we’ve had volunteers,” Colbrook said. “This continues a long lineage to support and serve ourselves and the U.S. mission.”
The Army Volunteer Corps, managed by Army Community Service, is a program which people use to find volunteer opportunities, log service hours and receive support and guidance. If you would like to volunteer, visit our article “5 steps to become a volunteer at USAG Bavaria.”
Volunteer of the Year Winners | ||
Category | Winner | Nominating Organization |
Active Duty Military Member | SSG Bobby Crane | JMTC |
Family Member | Wendy Trackey | Army Community Service |
Host Nation | Linda Johnson | USO |
Retiree / DoD Civilian | James Joyce | Grafenwoehr Kontact Club |
Youth | Gabrielle Hintz | BCSC |
1,000 Plus Volunteer Hours |
||
Lorenna Browning | Michiyo Hannaford | Wendy Trackey |
Rebecca Cameron | Sophie Jones | Christy Whitaker |
700 Plus Volunteer Hours | ||
Helen Cole | Jaquan Portee | Camelia Streff |
Jennifer Colon | Tara Priddis | Angelita Williams |
SSG Bobby Crane | Priscilla Rey | Marcie Williams |
Jennifer Mc Whorter | Linda Scheuermann |
250 Plus Volunteer Hours | ||
Rachel Banker | Sarah Hooper | Melissa Robinson |
Shaylee Borscani | Ferron Johnson | Sonja Sawyer |
Tatjana Brady | Linda Johnson | Dominique Schnell |
Megan Braholli | Misrah Johnson | Kreg Schnell |
Lorelai Browning | Traci Kaintz | Megan Scribner |
Jeramie Bryan | Robert Klampe | Alexis Shilley |
Anthony Bucciarelli | Jessica Leiva- Schulte | Almitha Stacy |
Christopher Colbert | Sharla Manner | Elisabeth Stone |
Emily Daly | Viviana Mauricio | Elizabeth Thometz |
Meagan Elam | Gambrielle Montgomery – Seaton | Elisabeth Webber |
Mary Forrest | Marina Nunez | Laurel Whippie |
Ava Gourley | Lyndsay Owens | Whitney Wilding |
Loukeya Hensley | Jennifer Pasquale | Richard Wiebe |
Ashley Hilbert | Jaclyn Pennoyer | |
Cheryl Hintz | Sarah Rigdon |