Photo By Sgt. Liane Hatch | Sfc. Stephen Defritas (left) and Pfc. Johnnie Giddens help form an assembly line of...... read more read more
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” This past weekend, 10th Mountain Division (LI) Sustainment Brigade Soldiers acted greatly, seeking to honor King’s legacy through community engagement and service.
On Thursday, January 11, a group of Muleskinner Soldiers gathered as volunteers at the Watertown Salvation Army, where they assisted the staff with various tasks around the building.
The Muleskinners commitment to service in the local community has led to a partnership with the Salvation Army, explained Maj. (Chaplain) James Key, 10th Mountain Division (LI) Sustainment Brigade chaplain. Since the partnership began approximately a year and a half ago, Key said, Muleskinner Soldiers have had several opportunities to serve with an organization that does so much for the local community.
“The local community does so much for us here at Fort Drum,” Key said. “It’s important for us to give back and engage within the community that hosts us. We’re here to serve this country, but that means serving here, too.”
Soldiers were able to help by re-organizing food donations meant for the Salvation Army’s daily lunchtime soup kitchen and food pantry, ensuring recipients were fed and supplied with fresh, quality foods. They also spent time painting, hoping to make the facility appear more pleasant and welcoming for members of the community who rely on the organization.
A social worker with the organization said that the Muleskinners' work would be "a big help" to the Salvation Army staff, who rely heavily on volunteers to accomplish their mission.
The Soldiers, meanwhile, were happy to pitch in.
“Our shop is always looking for opportunities to volunteer in the community,” said W01 Justin Evan, who works in the brigade’s networks operations. “We’re here to serve; we joined the military to serve, so any way we can contribute to the local community, we want to do that.”
The Watertown Salvation Army provides an array of services that go largely unseen, Key said, but are crucial to the health and welfare of the community.
“The need isn’t as visible here, because you don’t necessarily see people out on the streets -- but unfortunately that makes it easy for people to forget,” said Key.
Besides providing soup kitchen and food pantry services, the Salvation Army also hosts a youth programs and events, gives winter clothing vouchers, and distributes toys to families struggling during the holidays.
The service project was intended to “remember, celebrate, and act” in honor of King’s legacy, with “a day on, not a day off.” While the Soldiers were still able to enjoy their 4-day MLK Jr. weekend, they kicked it off in the spirit of the holiday.
“We’re able to serve together and work together peacefully largely because of the work Dr. King did,” Evan said. “It can be easy to take the opportunities we have for granted, and coming together to serve like this helps us remember not to.”
Key encouraged Muleskinners who missed out on this opportunity to look for other ways to serve, and said the brigade would be planning another volunteer project in the near future.
| Date Taken: | 01.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2018 20:13 |
| Story ID: | 262073 |
| Location: | NY, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Muleskinner Soldiers Honor MLK Legacy Through Community Service, by SGT Liane Hatch, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT