The crew of the amphibious assault ship, USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and their families took part in the command-sponsored “Rise Above” resource fair Nov. 19, at the Murphy Canyon Chapel.
Sailors had the opportunity to visit more than 25 booths providing legal, financial, medical, religious, education, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) information and resources to promote a more stable foundation for themselves and their dependents.
"The purpose of this event today is to invest in our Sailors and to allow them to focus on their self-improvement," said Capt. G. S. Thoroman, USS Bonhomme Richard’s executive officer. "Now is a good time for Sailors to pause and work on becoming better versions of themselves, because things will become busy in the future."
Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class Luis Fellipy Castro, lead coordinator for the “Rise Above” resource fair said the resources are aimed at providing a better quality of life for service members.
“We put this event together to present resources that our Sailors might have otherwise not known existed,” said Castro. “The programs range from tuition assistance services to couples’ retreats provided at no-cost to our Sailors.”
Other programs are established to help families who are in financial need.
"Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) assists young military and transitioning veterans and their families move from financial crisis to self-sufficiency through counseling, grants and other supportive services," said Tracy Owens, community engagement coordinator for STEP. "If there's ever a family in need, we open the doors to our warehouse and let them come in and get the items they need.”
Many Sailors who attended the event were appreciative of the number of resources provided.
“I was blown away when I realized the amount of resources that were available to us,” said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Byron Marsh, a Sailor assigned to Bonhomme Richard. “I definitely plan on utilizing programs like tuition assistance and tutoring programs to aid me on my educational journey. I would like to thank the people involved in making this event possible.”
Bonhomme Richard is in its homeport of San Diego