USAG YONGSAN -- Friends and family members gathered at the Commiskey's Community Activity Center, U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, April 29, for the annual Volunteer of the Year Recognition Ceremony to celebrate and support the volunteers who contributed their services to make a difference.
The theme for this year's ceremony, "R.O.K 'N' Seoul," was personalized to represent the volunteers in the Republic of Korea serving the Seoul community. According to Army Volunteer Corp Coordinator Jennifer Jenkins, about 2,000 volunteers contributed to the community with their services during the past year.
A total of four families and about 80 people were selected as nominees for the awards, which were divided into six different categories: family; 18 and under; retiree; active duty; foreign national and civilian. The profiles of the selected personnel were judged through a rigorous selection process as a panel of five judges scored each nomination on a selected criteria over a three day period.
"This process took each judge approximately four hours to complete," said Jenkins. "Once each nomination was scored, the points were tallied, and the winner of each category was selected. The scores of the winners from each category were then reviewed to determine the volunteer of the year."
This year, the amount of hours dedicated to volunteer services amounted to 168,738 hours which, in monetary terms, is equal to about $3.75 million in labor costs alone. In comparison, this year outperformed the previous year's total of 155,210 hours of service -- the equivalent of $3.5 million.
The applause and cheers that erupted for the individuals highlighted the spirit of volunteerism itself, which has deep historic roots in the foundation of the R.O.K -- U.S. alliance.
"Through our nation's earliest age, we have always had the spirit of volunteerism," said Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, the Commanding General of Eighth Army and the guest of honor for the night. "[This] is incredibly important here in Korea. During the war, numerous volunteer organizations worked tirelessly in harm's way in order to make the Soldiers' lives more comfortable and more connected to their families back home. More importantly though, the spirit of our troops who volunteered to help the less fortunate in Korea while fighting a deadly war was what truly made the difference."
The night emphasized that volunteerism was not only a reality in Korea during the war-torn times of the mid-1900s, but is still a salient influence today.
"Nothing has changed over time," said Jenkins. "It is simply about the heart and compassion to volunteer."
Today, volunteers offer their talents and services in countless fields including institutions and agencies, such as the Yongsan Library, Brian Allgood Community Hospital, Department of Defense Schools, Red Cross, Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers (BOSS), United Services Organizations (USO) and many more.
The winner and the runner-up of each category received a plaque and a certificate of appreciation for dedicating themselves to serving the community. At the end of the event, Col. Maria P. Eoff, Commander, USAG-Y, Command Sgt. Maj. Henney M. Hodgkins, Garrison Sgt. Mag., USAG-Y, Sara Mitchell, the volunteer of the year, and AVC Coordinator Jennifer Jenkins offered a ceremonial check to Vandal in accordance with the annual practice.
"Our special volunteers have dedicated so much of their time and gave something back to the community, as well as the Republic of Korea," said Vandal. "You exemplify what it means to serve, and the people gathered in this room personify the true volunteer spirit that makes our nation, our military and our community great."
Related Links:
U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan Homepage
Social Sharing