Rome Italy Temple Open House Update
The Public Open House concluded Saturday, the 23rd of February. That day, we were blessed with over 1800 guests entering the temple, 95% of which were Italian, the majority of which were nonmembers! We received 128 comments, 56 of which asked for email or in person visits. For the period of the Open House which began on January 13 with the construction crew, there were over 50,000 people who toured the temple, leaving over 3,000 comments. Thanks for all that each of you did to promote, inform, and invite people to the Open House!
One of the things we accomplished when we first arrived on
Sigonella was apply to be a Red Cross Volunteer. We wanted to be able to volunteer at the
Sigonella Hospital to support our families.
Little did we know that becoming a Red Cross Volunteer was no small
thing. I expected to become certified in
CPR and First Aid but that was only the beginning. We did Cyber Security, Casework,
Disaster Assessment and The ALTA system used at Sigonella Hospital. Somewhere
between 36-40 hours later we were given clearance to volunteer in the
hospital. Because we didn’t have any
medical training we could go to any clinic and start new learning foundational
vocabulary and support. We ended up in
the Optometry Clinic, one Optometrist Dr. Mikayla Uphoff, two Optometry
Technicians Brandon Richardson and Adam Hart.
It was a steep learning curve but after a few weeks we began to feel
like we moved from a liability to an asset.
Thursday’s are minimum day for DOD schools on Sigonella and
also the days set aside for dependents and families to access clinics in the
hospital, so we volunteered seven hours every Thursday for over a year.
We had the opportunity to work with amazing people but February
was a good month in Optometry! Dr. Uphoff
was recognized and awarded a Star certificate for “Outstanding Service to
Military families”, HM3 Richardson was recognized as “Sailor of the Quarter”,
HM3 Hart was recognized as “Outstanding RA for the Quarter” and the volunteers
in that clinic, Kathy and Craig Anderson were recognized as the Red Cross “Volunteers
of the Quarter.” Who knew?
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| The Sigonella Optometry Crew! |
REGIONAL VOLUNTEER OF THE
QUARTER
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SUBMISSION DEADLINE TO THE REGIONAL
COORDINATOR IS
1630 THE 15th OF THE MONTH
FOLLOWING THE QUARTER END.
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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Active American Red Cross Volunteers that engage
in volunteer work supportive of the American Red Cross mission are eligible
for nomination. Nominees must have
hours logged in the nominating quarter.
Nominators (volunteers and employees) should consider all volunteer
types and should submit a minimum of one (1) Adult volunteer and a maximum of two (2) Adult, and two (2) Youth nominations to the
Regional VOQ coordinator. Nominators
are encouraged to work with the nominee’s volunteer manager and/or the
volunteer’s direct supervisor to complete the nomination form.
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Nominee documents are printed based on this form
– Please TYPE and VERIFY SPELLING.
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NOMINEE’S INFORMATION
PLEASE ENSURE INFORMATION
IS COMPLETE AND ACCURATE TO ENSURE NOMINEE CAN BE CONTACTED.
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Nominator’s Information
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Nominator’s Name:
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Station’s Name:
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NAS SIGONELLA, SICILY
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Email Address:
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Lauren.albritton@redcross.org
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Phone Number:
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+39 0095 86 4900
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Volunteer’s Information
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Full Name of Volunteer
Being Nominated (First, Middle, and Last):
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Kathryn and Craig
Anderson
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Email Address:
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Kathyanderson66@gmail.com
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Phone Number:
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Please indicate the
Volunteer’s placement location: (Clinic, Special Events, etc.):
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Optometry Clinic
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Volunteer’s Station:
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Sigonella
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Volunteer Type:
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Active
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Please enter the
Volunteer’s direct supervisor’s name and phone number:
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Suzy Gill, 095564592
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In the following section, please complete four
free-form narrative answers regarding the nominee. Nominations should not include the
nominee’s name in the narrative portion of the form. The information provided will assist the
Regional Recognition Committee in determining the best nominee for final
selection. Therefore, please be
thoughtful and concise when crafting your responses.
(Please limit section answers
to 250 words or less)
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1.
Please explain how the Volunteer provided
exemplary service to the American Red Cross during the past quarter:
The Andersons are very active
in the community; they primarily volunteer in our Optometrists office along
with donating time to the USO and Library. Our optometrist has come to depend
on the Andersons as a pinnacle point to their operation. They are consistently
on time, dependable, efficient with time management, easily able to multitask and
extremely knowledgeable. The scope of their work with the optometrist cannot be
duplicated due to their dedication and commitment to providing the best
possible care.
2.
During the Volunteer’s tenure of service, how
has (s)he contributed a significantly positive impact or innovation within your
Station?
These volunteers are a dynamic duo and
amazing volunteers. They pioneered the way as the first volunteers to ever be
placed in the Optometry Clinic. They sought out the optometrist on their own
accord and discussed in detail what a working volunteer relationship would look
like between the two entities. They have set a strong volunteer standard
through dependability, hard work, and dedication. The NSHS optometrist, LCDR
Mikayla Uphoff, states that they provide a “huge morale boost, which directly
contributes to overall improvement of patient care, military readiness, and
mental well being.” They paved new pathways to positive relationships with the
hospital staff and the American Red Cross that would otherwise be unknown to
our organization.
3.
To the best of your ability, speak to how this
Volunteer exemplifies the Mission of the American Red Cross:
Mission of the
American Red Cross: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human
suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and
the generosity of donors.
Due to the small size of NAS Sigonella, an
excess of manpower and resources is unheard of. The dedicated service that the
Andersons provide has alleviated an insurmountable portion of stress from the
optometrist and patients, providing a continuity that the active duty and
dependent community rely on. They provide the glue of guidance and knowledge during
times of low-manning and transitions as a beacon of consistency to staff and
patients. Not only do they continually push to positively serve others, they
can see that service comes in all shapes and forms. From volunteering at Red
Cross and NAS Sigonella events to stocking contact lenses, the Andersons
continually say yes to any and all help that is needed.
4.
Reflecting on the five American Red Cross
Values:
•
Compassionate: We are dedicated to improving the lives of
those we serve and to treating each other with care and respect.
•
Collaborative: We work together as One Red Cross family, in
partnership with other organizations, and always embrace diversity and
inclusiveness.
•
Creative: We seek new ideas, are open to change and
always look for better ways to serve those in need.
•
Credible: We act with integrity, are transparent
guardians of the public trust and honor our promises.
•
Committed: We hold ourselves accountable for defining
and meeting clear objectives, delivering on our mission and carefully stewarding
our donor funds.
Which value(s) does
this Volunteer most personify and how?
These volunteers display compassion when
encountering people from various backgrounds and experiences. The Andersons
treat all those who come in contact with them with the utmost respect and
empathy. Overseas locations can be difficult, not only on the service member
but children and families as well, and they never pass up on an opportunity to
make a real and lasting connection. The extra time they take with each person
shines through and leaves a lasting impression. They do not hesitate to help
others and if a need is seen, they jump to action to help as opposed to waiting
for a request. They act selflessly, offering clear and sound advice in an
unassuming way. No volunteer opportunity is off limits for them, constantly
seeking to better themselves and the community they call home. Through their
passion, they have also shown how clearly committed they are to our cause of
delivering help to those who need it.
All nominees must be an
active volunteer in good standing.
Self-nominations will not be accepted.
The Regional VOQ Committee reserves the right to validate or reject a
nominee's eligibility. Checking this box
signifies you understand and agree.
