A Little Bit Goes a Long Way...

There's no feeling quite like the one you get from volunteering! I had the privilege of serving the servants if you will at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium last week as a wonderful team of health care providers and police officers administered H1N1 injections and kept the peace. The situation was far from a crisis like the recent ice and wind storms that have devastated our community over the last year, but putting a smile on the face of someone who had been outside administering a vaccine to people for 15 hours gave me a feeling of sheer delight. One student of the University of Louisville's School of Public Health told me and my fellow volunteers that we were the most important people there! I can't say I agreed with her, but she seemed overjoyed to have a cup of warm coffee in her hands. Simply providing some fine folks with coffee, sandwiches and fruit didn't seem like much initially, but the jovial response and genuine appreciation of the folks we provided canteen service to quickly changed my opinion. It just goes to show, that a little bit can go a long way.

Toyland

Organizations in Fort Knox pulled together on Nov. 7 to help out the Fort Knox Red Cross. Every year, the Fort Knox Red Cross puts together a Santa’s Workshop where approved soldiers in need can shop for their families for free. To collect toys for the workshop, Knox Hills and the Bluegrass Sergeant Major Association hosted “Toy Trot”—a 5K walk/run. Participants were required to donate a toy or make a monetary donation.


A volunteer helps set up for Toy Trot.

Over 100 people attended and $109 was donated. The 114 toys collected flooded the lobby of the Fort Knox Red Cross. Keisha (a fellow AmeriCorps) and I later helped transport the toys to the Santa’s Workshop—a house that could give the North Pole a run for its money.


Just a section of the Fort Knox Red Cross Santa's workshop.