JOINT TASK FORCE-EAST VOLUNTEERS JOIN SEABEES IN RENOVATING ROMANIAN CHILDREN'S CENTER

By Sgt. Aimee Millham, U.S. Army, Europe Public Affairs OfficeJuly 20, 2015

JOINT TASK FORCE-EAST VOLUNTEERS JOIN SEABEES IN RENOVATING ROMANIAN CHILDREN'S CENTER
CONSTANTA, Romania -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Stansbury, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion - 40 lead builder scrapes off old paint in a room at the Horizon Community Service Center in Constanta, Romania. The Seabees of NMCB- 40 and voluntee... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CONSTANTA, Romania -- Volunteer service members at Joint Task Force East made

home a better place for 60 handicapped Romanian children.

A fresh coat of paint and some spackle went a long way when Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion -- 40 headed an effort to improve the Horizon Community Service Center, a

facility for handicapped children, Oct. 13 and 14.

"If I see repairs needed at home, I fix them. I treat this as if it were my home; I want it to be up to my standards," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Stansbury, NMCB- 40 lead builder.

The effort fell in line with one of the Seabees' JTF-E missions to conduct

humanitarian civic actions projects, according to Navy Lt. Brad Coleman, officer-incharge

of NMCB-40's mission in Romania.

Volunteers from several other JTF-E units and organizations pitched in and repainted

several rooms; filled in holes in the walls; and cleaned up mold that had developed

behind the old paint. The Americans diligence and the quality of their work impressed the

home's administrator.

"Everyone knew what they were supposed to do, and they finished everything they

started," said Horizon administrator Sendruc Sorina, adding that she was moved by the

fact that the volunteer coordinators thought to bring toys for the children on the last day

of their endeavor.

Coleman learned of the opportunity when Seabees and U.S. Army Europe civil affairs

and engineer officials with JTF-E met with the local director of social work services, who

requested the manpower. Horizon provided all of the materials.

While the mission fell on a weekend, several volunteers were more than happy to be

there.

"Seeing that smile on (the children's faces), that's why I do it," Stansbury said, adding

that one resident, who has no family of which she is aware, stole and broke his heart.

"She's just a little girl … I have a 2-year-old daughter, you know?"

NMCB-40 will be deployed to Romania until February. Other humanitarian projects on

the Seabees schedule here include work at a retirement home, a kindergarten and a

medical clinic. The Seabees are also tasked with base support construction and

establishing a Seabee compound for future missions in Romania, Coleman said.