Soldiers ‘Pay it forward’ with Team Building Exercise

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Angel Martinez-Navedo | Pfc. Jessellie Boeker, intelligence technician for the 20th CBRNE’s (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) Intelligence and Security section, adjusts the size of a door with an electric saw under the supervision of Habitat for Humanity International personnel during a home renovation volunteer effort at Havre de Grace, Maryland on Dec. 8. Boeker and her team, along with Habitat, a nonprofit organization dedicated to build and repair modest houses for the less fortunate, helped Army veteran Jim Ray and his wife Joyce renovate his home floor in order to properly operate a wheelchair.  

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, UNITED STATES

12.13.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Angel Martinez-Navedo 

20th CBRNE Command

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – There is always someone in need of a helping hand and especially around the holidays. Aware of this, Soldiers from the 20th CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) Command, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity International, helped Army veteran Jim Ray and his wife Joyce renovate his home floor in Havre de Grace last week.
Lt. Col. Doug McNair and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Mahony, leader and intelligence technician respectively for the 20th CBRNE’s Intelligence and Security section, were looking for ideas for a team building exercise for their section. During their search they attended a Volunteer Management Information System meeting where they learned about several organizations and events that could help the team, and among them was Habitat.
Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to build and repair modest houses for the less fortunate, had a project running in need of volunteers, and Mahony’s team, Sgt.1st Class New Chang, Staff Sgt. David Whittington, Spc. Jonathan Atangan and Pfc. Jessellie Boeker, were ideal for the task.
Jim and Joyce have been living in the same house for more than 40 years, but a recently suffered stroke left Joyce with the need to use a wheelchair and with no choice but modify her home. Modifications such as a ramp were needed. And since the majority of the house was carpeted, it had become a hassle moving with the wheelchair.
“He (Habitat supervisor) had done the living room already, but not the bed rooms,” said Mahony. “She (Joyce) was able to wheel around the house, but once she got to the bedroom it was harder, and her husband had to push her in.”
With the materiel and a supervisor provided by Habitat, the group of volunteers helped to transform the carpets in the bedroom to laminated flooring during a day they described as “fun”.
According to Mahony, leaders and personnel from his section are looking for more opportunities like this to ensure everybody goes through the experience, or at least most of them.
“It was a good opportunity for us to get together outside of work, and socialize in a way it helps others,” Mahony added.

• Date Taken: 12.13.2016
• Date Posted: 12.14.2016 18:39
• Story ID: 217725
• Location: ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, US
• Hometown: ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, US
• Hometown: BEL AIR, MD, US
• Hometown: HAVRE DE GRACE, MD, US