Photo By Sgt. Jessica Kuhn | Lisa Kotson, right, the volunteer coordinator at the Armed Services YMCA, reviews with...... read more read more
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By Pfc. Jessica M. Kuhn
49th Public Affairs Detachment (Airborne)
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – "Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth," said Mohammed Ali.
Luckily for Soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, there are volunteers who share that same mentality with Ali.
Lisa Kotson, a native of Athens, Ga., has been volunteering at the Armed Services YMCA for more than four years.
"Freedom does have a price, and I try to earn mine by helping others in any way that I can," said Kotson.
These days Kotson is known as the volunteer coordinator for the ASYMCA.
"My job as the volunteer coordinator is when groups call and tell me they want to do something to help out, I will work to find the best suited program for that individual or group so they can enjoy themselves as they help," explained Kotson.
Kotson said she learned from her mother at an early age that there is nothing more rewarding in this life than the art of giving and helping out those in need.
"The goodness of volunteering is what inspires me to volunteer," she said. "That feeling of giving and helping others is so rewarding."
When Kotson first came to Fort Bragg, she began volunteering through the Baby Bundles program at the ASYMCA, a program that provides a newborn gift bag to active-duty Soldiers and Airmen, E-4 and below at the hospital.
"Back when I first started volunteering here at the ASYMCA, I was helping with the Baby Bundles program when I walked into this room where this young girl and baby were both crying," Kotson remembered. "The girl was so upset because she was all alone, her husband was deployed at the time and she had no way of telling him their child had been born. She was just having a really bad day. So I sat down and held the baby, trying to calm both of them down while letting them know they weren't alone."
Now, Kotson is in charge of the Baby Bundle program, which in the last year delivered more than 1,500 gift bags to Soldiers and Airmen's wives.
Besides Kotson's work and involvement with the Baby Bundles program, she is also involved in several other programs beginning with the Mother/ Daughter Tea and Fashion Show in March, followed by the Healthy Kid's Day in April, as well as the upcoming Soldier's Golf Event and the Kid Olympics Day later this year.
"Lisa is a 'whip a whirl'; she never stops," said Lynne M. Gates, the ASYMCA executive director. "She just goes and goes and would give you the shirt right off her back."
When Kotson isn't busy volunteering at the ASYMCA and being the wife of a 82nd Paratrooper, she packs up her baseball bat and glove and heads out to coach two youth baseball teams.
"It's my obligation as a citizen to give and to do. Part of being an American is helping each other out," Kotson said.
Another big part of Kotson's ongoing work at the ASYMCA is her ability to recruit in new volunteers. Because without those volunteers, none of the programs or events would be possible.
"Lisa is so dedicated," said Gates. "She will do anything you ask of her and she truly really does love her work."
After meeting several of Kotson's co-volunteers and spending a brief morning with her, it was easy to see how fortunate Fort Bragg is to have her helping the community.
"Goodness grows. If people are good and they do good things, that will grow into your community, making it a better place to live" Kotson said as she smiled.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2009 02:19 |
| Story ID: | 29506 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 370 |
| Downloads: | 313 |
This work, Volunteer earns her freedom helping others, by SGT Jessica Kuhn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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