My LOVE of Volunteering

These questions are from Mel's Blog at Head in the game. Heart in the Sand. 

1. Have you ever participated in a major volunteer event (Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, etc...)?

2. Do you volunteer locally on your post (or in your city)? Explain.

3. Have you ever done a charity run/walk/ride/etc...?

4. Do you have a charity or other organization that you support regularly with your time, money or in other ways? Share a little about it.

5. Are there any resources or advice for volunteering in your area so other women can get out there and help too?

MY ANSWERS:

1. I LOVE volunteering.  I have volunteered for the LiveStrong Challenge in Philadelphia 3 years in a row.  I have often volunteered for various events for the USO.  When I lived in DC, I volunteered weekly at the USO lounge at the Reagan National Airport.  I have volunteered for Planned Parenthood (because I'm passionate about Reproductive health).

2. I do volunteer wherever I go.  It's a great opportunity to meet other people who are interested in helping their community and it's super inspiring.

3. I just completed my FIRST 5k and raised money for it (Run for the Warriors)!  But I have also volunteered 3 consecutive years for the Philadelphia LiveStrong Challenge which raises funds for education, awareness and research around cancer.

4. I give with my time. I don't make enough to donate, really.

5. Every non profit that I have volunteered for has been grateful that I have reached out to them.  You can go with a friend, go and help do administrative tasks (pick up phones, file paper work, etc) or you can participate at an event (USO has a beer truck at their summer concerts where volunteers pour beers for attendees).  It's an amazing way to meet people and find people with common interests! Super helpful if you're new to an area. Or if you want new friends... just saying.

I heart LINKS and MCCS!

This blog is pretty specific to the Marine Corps services (and more specifically to Camp Lejeune).  I'm not familiar with the other branches but I'm sure that there are similar things available!

I know, I've yet to become a MilSpouse (Sept 2011 here I come!), but I am not one to sit at home and wait until my Marine comes home.  I am fearless when it comes to going out and getting the information I need.  And I NEED this information to survive the Military life!!

I moved to Jacksonville, NC in December 2009 after a long year of battling unemployment/underemployment in my beloved Washington DC.  I felt sad and mopey that I would be facing the same thing here in the Jax/Camp Lejeune (CL) area.  My options for staying busy were working (at Target, which I would have loved) or volunteering.  I ended up getting a job I really love and am passionate about (that's a different story entirely)...  Suffice it to say, unless you have a network, it's hard to know how to adjust to the military lifestyle.

My Marine came home late, left at the butt-crack of dawn, and over again.  I had my house, my car, and my puppy to fill my time in the first few days.


One day, I was sick of feeling sad for myself so I made some calls and tried to get on base to get some information.  I was SO excited about what I learned that day.  I met the Family Readiness Officer (FRO), learned about Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) and the Lifestyle, Insight, Knowledge and Skills (LINKS) classes!


There is a LOT to talk about when I say MCCS but basically, from what I know, it houses a majority of the services offered on a MC base.  Think... Fitness centers, the Exchange, MC Family Team Building, and much much more!!

I want to focus on LINKS, however, because this is where I felt most welcomed.  A lot of services on base are targeted toward military family and spouses.  So as a non-spouse, it's hard to feel like you fit in anywhere... but you still want the information.  Here's where LINKS saved me!

LINKS offers workshops for:

• Spouses, fiancees AND girlfriends/boyfriends
• Parents
• Teens, tweens and kids
• Navy

I got to learn about the structure of the Corps, a little bit about what the heck all those crazy acronyms mean (they give you a Marine to English dictionary!!), learned out to read an LES (Leave and Earning Statement, essentially his pay stub), and how to navigate the base for resources that are available, and more... I ate this information up!!!

The best part about LINKS is the "N" of their name.  It stands for Networking.  You get to meet other people who live the same sort of lifestyle.  I have learned so much from these women.  These are the women who live by these things which I absolutely adore... I shall adopt them henceforth on my blog!!

"Semper Gumby (always flexible)"

and

There is no rank between non-service members.

You might disagree with me on this but I didn't earn my FH's rank, so I won't wear it.

It makes no difference to me if I am friends with a LCpl's wife or a Captain's wife...
*obviously, use discretion... this is real life not "Army Wives"
I know this is a HEATED topic but I feel strongly about this.  I don't need to find out your husband's rank or last name to decide if we can be friends!
and this is my blog so I can do what I want!

I know they have LINKS at each of the major MC installations. I hope that if you are intimately involved (hehe) with the Marine Corps, you'll take the time to learn about it!

Love,
Reina