Holloman members give back during Day of Caring

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jamal Sutter
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. --  Behind every great Air Force base is a great community and it's no secret that an installation's success is a direct reflection of the support it gets from surrounding areas.

In return for this overwhelming support, it's important for a base to give back to the community and show it's gratitude for the love, help and appreciation it receives, which is why more than 450 members of Team Holloman gathered April 24 in an effort to help beautify the cities of Alamogordo, Tularosa and Cloudcroft during the United Way of Otero County Day of Caring.

The idea of the annual event is to help those in need of yard and house work due to physical and financial disabilities.

"These are people who have needs they can't take care of themselves," said Jim Childers, media task president of the board of United Way of Otero County.

Holloman members performed jobs from mowing lawns, trimming trees, pulling weeds, to painting and the recipients of the aid were greatly appreciative.

"We've had people who couldn't even wash their own windows cry when we washed their windows," said Ms. Bailey, executive director of United Way of Otero County.

Qualification for this assistance is based on prioritized need, said Mr. Childers. A form is submitted to United Way by the applicant and the request is screened. From there, United Way gets with Holloman leadership and teams are put together to complete the work.

The turn out set a new record for number of volunteers but this was no surprise to Holloman Day of Caring Project Coordinator Senior Master Sgt. Rufino Gonzalez. He believes this is a result of the closeness the base has with the local area.

"We have a great relationship with the communities of Alamogordo, Tularosa and Cloudcroft," Sergeant Gonzalez said. "I knew Team Holloman would step up to support this great event."

The vast number of volunteers even caused problems when it came to matching personnel with work.

"Every unit within Holloman was represented at the event," Sergeant Gonzalez added. "My biggest dilemma was trying to make sure I had jobs for all the volunteers, but that's a good dilemma to have."

Though helping those in need and bettering the community is one benefit of events like the Day of Caring, there is another fulfillment that occurs that isn't so underlined according to Mr. Childers.

"I think it brings the community together in a way that makes everybody feel good," he said. "Working together on a program like this really shows how strong this community can be."