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Last year about 1,500 Fort Leavenworth community members reported working 120,368 volunteer hours — saving the post more than $1.96 million in labor costs.
Volunteers were honored at a ceremony, “Celebrating People in Action,” April 14 at the newly renovated Frontier Conference Center.
Randie Gibson, volunteer corps coordinator for Army Community Service, said that’s the equivalent of 58 full-time employees at a GS-7 salary. Gibson said although volunteers can’t replace paid staff, it shows leaders which areas need volunteer assistance. A written record of a volunteer’s logged hours could count toward job experience for that volunteer’s résumé, or even assist a particular organization in making the case for needed staff members, Gibson said.
“The biggest thing is showing what they give back to the community,” she said. “How strong our volunteer force has to be.”
Amy Drummond, volunteer with the Garrison Public Affairs Office, was named Adult Volunteer of the Year.
Garrison Public Affairs Officer Jeff Wingo commended Drummond on her volunteer efforts.
“The labor that she performs is admirable because she provided us, in just one year, over 1,000 hours of community service,” he said.
Wingo said Drummond has served as the PAO’s “go-to” person for social media and Commander’s Channel 2, helping get messages out to the community.
Drummond handles information for Channel 2, a postwide closed-circuit television station, social media sites for Fort Leavenworth and other duties as needed.
She is also a part-time employee with the Fort Leavenworth Lamp. She began as a volunteer for the Lamp newspaper a year ago helping with news briefs and social media, and has since been hired as a part-time contractor assisting with pagination and the Lamp’s website. She also takes photos and writes news stories as needed to help make up for the loss of two full-time staff writers at the Lamp last year.
Drummond is married to Sgt. 1st Class John Drummond, now in his fifth deployment and fourth to Iraq. He is serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th Military Police Internment and Resettlement Battalion.
“Amy is deserving of this award for a couple of reasons,” Sgt. 1st Class Drummond wrote from Iraq. “First, she knows that as a spouse of a Soldier, deployments are inevitable and keeping busy is a must for her well-being. It allows her to focus and not have to worry much about me while I am deployed. Also, it gives her a sense of accomplishment. Over the various deployments, she was either working full time or going to school full time. It allows her to be involved with the installation.”
Two brothers were recognized as Fort Leavenworth’s Youth Volunteers of the Year. John and Patrick Beshenich, ages 17 and 14, have volunteered with the Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club. They are the sons of George and Elizabeth Beshenich.
Elizabeth Beshenich said her sons helped move tables and other equipment for the Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club and the Ruby Slippers Shoppe. Her sons also volunteer at their church, St. Joseph of the Valley.
Volunteers were also recognized from Fort Leavenworth schools, Fort Leavenworth chapels, the Veterinary Clinic, Boy and Girl Scouts, family readiness groups, Human Animal Bond, and several other organizations.
Gibson was presented with the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service for her work as volunteer corps coordinator. Col. Wayne Green, Garrison commander, praised Gibson’s efforts in finding and increasing the amount of volunteer hours reported.
ACS coordinates volunteer efforts throughout Fort Leavenworth. For more information, call 684-2800.
Last year about 1,500 Fort Leavenworth community members reported working 120,368 volunteer hours — saving the post more than $1.96 million in labor costs.
Volunteers were honored at a ceremony, “Celebrating People in Action,” April 14 at the newly renovated Frontier Conference Center.
Randie Gibson, volunteer corps coordinator for Army Community Service, said that’s the equivalent of 58 full-time employees at a GS-7 salary. Gibson said although volunteers can’t replace paid staff, it shows leaders which areas need volunteer assistance. A written record of a volunteer’s logged hours could count toward job experience for that volunteer’s résumé, or even assist a particular organization in making the case for needed staff members, Gibson said.
“The biggest thing is showing what they give back to the community,” she said. “How strong our volunteer force has to be.”
Amy Drummond, volunteer with the Garrison Public Affairs Office, was named Adult Volunteer of the Year.
Garrison Public Affairs Officer Jeff Wingo commended Drummond on her volunteer efforts.
“The labor that she performs is admirable because she provided us, in just one year, over 1,000 hours of community service,” he said.
Wingo said Drummond has served as the PAO’s “go-to” person for social media and Commander’s Channel 2, helping get messages out to the community.
Drummond handles information for Channel 2, a postwide closed-circuit television station, social media sites for Fort Leavenworth and other duties as needed.
She is also a part-time employee with the Fort Leavenworth Lamp. She began as a volunteer for the Lamp newspaper a year ago helping with news briefs and social media, and has since been hired as a part-time contractor assisting with pagination and the Lamp’s website. She also takes photos and writes news stories as needed to help make up for the loss of two full-time staff writers at the Lamp last year.
Drummond is married to Sgt. 1st Class John Drummond, now in his fifth deployment and fourth to Iraq. He is serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th Military Police Internment and Resettlement Battalion.
“Amy is deserving of this award for a couple of reasons,” Sgt. 1st Class Drummond wrote from Iraq. “First, she knows that as a spouse of a Soldier, deployments are inevitable and keeping busy is a must for her well-being. It allows her to focus and not have to worry much about me while I am deployed. Also, it gives her a sense of accomplishment. Over the various deployments, she was either working full time or going to school full time. It allows her to be involved with the installation.”
Two brothers were recognized as Fort Leavenworth’s Youth Volunteers of the Year. John and Patrick Beshenich, ages 17 and 14, have volunteered with the Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club. They are the sons of George and Elizabeth Beshenich.
Elizabeth Beshenich said her sons helped move tables and other equipment for the Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club and the Ruby Slippers Shoppe. Her sons also volunteer at their church, St. Joseph of the Valley.
Volunteers were also recognized from Fort Leavenworth schools, Fort Leavenworth chapels, the Veterinary Clinic, Boy and Girl Scouts, family readiness groups, Human Animal Bond, and several other organizations.
Gibson was presented with the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service for her work as volunteer corps coordinator. Col. Wayne Green, Garrison commander, praised Gibson’s efforts in finding and increasing the amount of volunteer hours reported.
ACS coordinates volunteer efforts throughout Fort Leavenworth. For more information, call 684-2800.
