Volunteers- celebrating Hill AFB people in action

  • Published
  • By Catherine McNally, By Colette Geiss
  • Hilltop Times staff, Airman and Family Readiness Center volunteer coordinator
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  April 10th through 16th is National Volunteer Week, and is the time for us to recognize and celebrate the dedication, time and hard work that more than 62 million volunteers give freely in this country every year. Hill Air Force Base and its surrounding communities are the recipients of many hours of this dedication, donated by our own civilian employees, active duty personnel and their dependents.

Many of the resources, programs and attractions here at Hill Air Force Base owe their success and literal existence to volunteers. Hill's volunteer program provides the opportunity for both active duty military and civilians with access to the base to give back to the local and base community. From assisting teachers at Hill Field Elementary School, to assisting with local shelters and food banks, handing out prescriptions at the base pharmacy, and assisting with Base Chapel programs and events such as Air Expeditionary Force Retreats, Hill's volunteers are ready, willing and able to lend a helping hand no matter what the cause.

"One thing that's so important about these volunteers is that, without them, there would be no Airmen's Attic, there would be no Hill Thrift Shop, etc.," said Colette Geiss, volunteer coordinator for the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Programs such as the Key Spouse program and Tax Center, which are made up entirely of volunteers, and attractions such as the Hill Aerospace Museum, which owes its success to a staff made up of over 90 percent volunteers, also illustrate the large variety of volunteer opportunities.

"It's all about providing our Airmen and others in our base community with opportunities to give back," Geiss said as she described how volunteering can develop character.

Not only that, but it also provides opportunities to socialize and meet new people as well as other perks. "You can use volunteer work to fill in vacant areas on your resume," Geiss explained. "It can also help you get experience for a job you're applying for."

Resume fillers and Enlisted Performance Report bullets aside, many volunteers express a deep desire to help those in need. "It's more about a desire to help others," Geiss said. Staff Sgt. Josh Borschowa, a member of the 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron and volunteer teaching assistant at Hill Field Elementary School, agrees: "It's something I enjoy doing," he said. "It gives me an opportunity to give back. I like judging science fairs also," Borschowa continued, explaining why volunteering is enjoyable. "It's fun to see what kids come up with as experiments."

Angela Langley, a volunteer with the Airman's Attic and Hill Field Elementary School, and whose husband is a member of the 372nd Recruiting Group, said that volunteering offers a chance to socialize with others and meet new people. "We're all kind of close, we're like a family," she said. Langley also said that her experiences working in the Airman's Attic have been rewarding. "It's like watching a little kid open a Christmas present when the Airmen and their families find what they're looking for here. I just like to see the look on their faces when we're able to help them out," she added.

Both Borschowa and Langley described volunteering as something they're excited to do, rather than a regular job that you might not want to get up in the morning for. "It's something to look forward to," Langley said. If you have the time and you want to volunteer, it's a good feeling ... that you're helping other people."

"Find something you enjoy doing," Borschowa advised. "That makes it a lot more fun for you."

If you're interested in finding out more about volunteer opportunities on base or in the local community, please contact Colette Geiss at the A&FRC, (801) 777-4681.