Volunteering –– Just do it!                        Susanne Kappler      Leader Staff

While Chundra Womack’s husband was stationed at Fort Polk, La., she learned about Army Family Team Building from a friend who volunteered for the program. The mother of three, a former Soldier herself, liked the idea of helping families who are new to the Army, so she started to volunteer. Two years later she is an AFTB volunteer at her husband’s new duty station, Fort Jackson. “It’s funny, because (the friend who got me into volunteering) took the (AFTB training) levels with me and then she quit,” Womack said. Womack is one of more than 1,000 volunteers on Fort Jackson; about 40 percent of them are military spouses. “The thing I like about the spouses is that they are not expecting anything in return,” said Marilynn Bailey, Fort Jackson volunteer coordinator. “Some of them don’t even want the awards that we have. It’s totally personal satisfaction. And they’re really passionate about volunteering, especially with the program that they’re volunteering for.” There are a number of reasons for spouses to volunteer. Lorie Underwood, who serves as a housing mayor, said her main motivation was to help the community. But for many, it also offers the chance to apply their talents and to make new friends. “I want to do something. Instead of doing stuff in my house, I (come here and get) together with other people,” said Cecilia Co, who volunteers at the thrift shop. Lyzzamarie Osorio serves as a housing mayor and also volunteers for Army Community Service and her children’s school. She points out that in addition to contributing to the community, volunteering also has benefits for the volunteers themselves. “All the volunteer work that you do, it makes a lot of difference in your resume,” she said.  This is especially important for military spouses, whose careers might suffer from frequently being on the move. There are many opportunities to volunteer on Fort Jackson. Federal government agencies can request volunteers for specific jobs, but many volunteers work either for programs like AFTB or ACS or for private organizations like the American Red Cross or the thrift shop. Others are active in youth sports or schools. “The only thing a volunteer cannot do is be a replacement for a paid position,” Bailey said. Although volunteers do not get paid for their services, there are rewards for their efforts. “At different times of the year we get put in for awards. It’s nice (for someone) to say, ‘Hey, you know, you’re appreciated,’” Underwood said. Osorio finds it fulfilling to help people new to the Army and Fort Jackson. “When a volunteer comes out and smiles at them and says, ‘Welcome, can I help you?’ it makes their day. And just doing that makes my day,” she explained. Womack has some advice for anyone who is considering volunteering. “Just do it. If you want to start, come with me and see if you like it up here. If not, (...) they have many, many volunteer opportunities,” she said. “I like doing AFTB — that may not be for you. But you can do (other things). There’s something there for everybody to do — just do it.”