HEIDELBERG, Germany--Last year U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Wuerttemberg saved $3 million in operating costs thanks to hundreds of dedicated community volunteers.
These volunteers are members of the Army Volunteer Corps, who lend their time and talents to assist their local schools, chapels, day care centers and other community agencies across the
USAG Baden-Württemberg footprint.
Norma Ewers, Army Volunteer Corps coordinator, is responsible for meeting with and managing the legions of volunteers from the Mannheim and Heidelberg communities.
"There is such a need for volunteers and the work that they do is priceless," Ewers said.
Ewers, a native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, retired from the Army in 2007 after 22 years of service. She has served as the AVC coordinator for three years.
"Being around the volunteers really gives me a lot of satisfaction. I like to call it the best job in ACS. It's fun and I meet a lot of people. I really enjoy seeing someone come in and be placed in
a position where they start to interact and gain more confi dence and really grow. When you look at something like that you see how great it is to get involved," she said.
Ewers meets personally with potential volunteers at her office located at the Army Community Service office in Heidelberg. She also provides monthly and onsite training to organizations who want to bring volunteers on board.
Anyone interested in volunteering can visit the Volunteer Management Information System at the www.myarmyonesource.com website. Once you're on the site just click on the "Family Programs and Services" tab and then click on the volunteering link.
Through VMIS, civilians and Soldiers can register for volunteer opportunities at Army communities around the world. VMIS also provides online tools to help volunteers and managers track the volunteer hours, assignments and more.
The Army Volunteer Corps was created in 2002 to link volunteers and organizations together to promote volunteerism within the Army community.
The next big volunteer event is "Make a Difference Day" Oct. 22. The event is held annually on the fourth Saturday of October to highlight community service.
For information on the Army Volunteer Corps or Make a Difference Day, call Army Community Service in Heidelberg at DSN 370-7288, civ. 06221-57-7288 or visit www.myarmyonesource.com.
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