Subscribe
NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain – Service members and civilians gathered at the base chapel to honor three individuals and two groups that were named as the Volunteers of the Year (VOY).
This is the second year Commander, U.S. Naval Activities (COMNAVACT) Spain has given out the award for community members. The VOY award acknowledges achievement, citizenship, and community involvement. One winner was selected from each of the five different categories: military, civilian employee, dependent, small group (two to seven members), and large group (seven or more members).
“We are here to celebrate the men and women who volunteer their time, their skills and talents in order to improve the quality of life for the Rota community,” said Capt. Greg Pekari, commander, U.S. Naval Activities Spain. “Whether you are part of a bigger community or an individual, our volunteers represent the very best examples of selfless service and compassion that a community has to offer.”
A total of 19 packages were submitted and a selection board voted for the winners in each category.
Chief Master-at-Arms Orlando McLeod, Volunteer Recognition Program manager, said all of the 19 different individuals and groups that were nominated continuously demonstrated dedication and self-sacrifice within the Rota community.
“Your leaders have admiration and appreciate your hard work,” said McLeod. “You are all winners and should be proud of your hard work.”
The winners and their respective category are: Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Wocking, military; Douglas Hasselbring, civilian employee; Romina Arbildi, dependent; the Religious Ministries Department, small group; and Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD), Rota Chapter, large group.
“Each and every person or group was extremely deserving of this award,” said Senior Chief Logistics Specialist Keith Wilkerson, chairman of the selection board. “The board members and myself found that only a few small distinctions put the final awardees over the top being that the competition was so tough.”
In order for individuals or groups to be nominated, they must have 150 or more documented community service hours for the corresponding calendar year. This award is for service of significant magnitude or duration in one or more community organizations, which enhance the quality of life in the community.
Wocking contributed 950 hours of volunteer service as the committee chairman of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Cub Scouts Pack 280, vice president of the Filipino-American Levante Club, and a coach for the Youth Soccer Program.
Hasselbring volunteered more than 250 hours of his time as cubmaster for BSA Cub Scouts Pack 280. He leads monthly meetings and ensures the Cub Scouts pack positively reflects the interests and objectives of the BSA. He works in conjunction with the pack committee on program ideas and establishing a budget plan that ensures the Cub Scouts receive a quality, year-round program.
Arbildi, dependent VOY, contributed 917 hours of volunteer service as a NAVSTA Rota ombudsman and time in the emergency room at U.S. Naval Hospital Rota. She acted as the information liaison between NAVSTA Rota’s leadership and family members. She also volunteers as an American Red Cross emergency room nurse at the hospital, assisting emergency room staff in pre- and post-operation care, and taking patient vital signs.
Winner of the small group VOY, the Chapel Community Relations (COMREL) Team volunteered more than 1,484 hours, staying in constant contact with local organizations to seek out COMREL opportunities for various groups and associations. During the past year, the team organized COMREL opportunities for 15 different organizations.
CSADD, comprised of 25 Sailors, volunteered a combined total of more than 900 hours. Members organized movie nights at the barracks and volunteered their time at water stations and as safety observers during Rota Morale, Welfare and Recreation and youth athletic events.
Pekari urges every one to stop and thank those who volunteer their time to improve the quality of life for others.
“I want to end with a quote from one of the great civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Pekari. “’Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?’”
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2015 03:54 |
| Story ID: | 160660 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Rota recognizes volunteers of the year, by Brian Dietrick, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT