CAMP WALKER, Republic of Korea — The U.S. Army Garrison Daegu Army Community Service (ACS) team unveiled a new community library Sept. 1 at the Soldier Support Center.
Lined with books and informational materials, the library is full of resources to support the needs of Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Families. An Exceptional Family Member (EFM) is a Family member with special needs who requires additional assistance such as education or counseling.
The Exceptional Family Member Program is a comprehensive, coordinated, multi-agency program that provides community support, housing, medical, educational, and personnel services to military Families with an Exceptional Family Member.
"What makes the library special is that it is the first one here in the area. It is also special because it has not only books but sensory items. For example, we have heatable soft toys that help our kids with calming down when they are frustrated," said EFMP Coordinator Lisa Evergin, the designer of the library.
"We also have workbooks and information to help our EFM teens with navigating things like [attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder] and how to access EFM supports beyond high school."
Speaking to Evergin and other members of the ACS staff, U.S. Army Garrison Daegu Garrison Commander Brian P. Schoellhorn expressed his thanks and support of the efforts to bring the EFMP Sensory and Resource Library to Camp Walker.
"This is always about making a difference and getting better. The EFMP Program is important everywhere, but it's even more important in my mind here. A little bit can go a long way, but it takes somebody to care enough — I appreciate the hard work you've done to get this here."
"This is a start, so once we put this into action we can see what needs to be done and what other resources we can commit to it," he added.
The library has room to expand based on feedback from the USAG Daegu community. Evergin said community input has been a crucial part of the planning process and will help shape additions to the library in the future.
The EFMP Sensory and Resource Library is just one of a number of upgrades to ACS capabilities on Camp Walker. Additions to personnel and renovations to the facility are helping the team provide quality support to the USAG Daegu community.
Additional programs and services offered by ACS include:
- Family Advocacy Program
- Financial Readiness
- Mobilization, Deployment, and Support Stability Operations
- New Parent Support Program
- Relocation Readiness Program
- SHARP (Sexual Harassment, Assault Reporting & Prevention)
- Victim Advocacy Program
Social Sharing