Photo By Staff Sgt. Josiah Pugh | Volunteers and vendors network and exchange information at the Texas Military...... read more read more
ROUND ROCK, Texas (June 25, 2016) – The Texas Military Department State Family Program held it's annual volunteer workshop June 25-26, 2016 at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Round Rock, Texas. The event, geared toward family readiness group leaders, provided a range of classes designed to arm the volunteers with the tools, training and networking opportunities to ensure their success.
The two-day workshop's theme this year was 'volunteers making a big difference with small steps.' Sixty volunteers from all over Texas gathered and attended classes such as, 'Hunt the Good Stuff,' 'Compassion Fatigue' and 'Getting Buy-in From the Unit.'
Debbie Boynton has been a volunteer for about 18 years and taught skills like establishing a rapport between the command team and Soldiers and bringing the civilians into the military world by learning their terminology.
When speaking to the volunteers, Boynton posited, "You're an alien creature in this world of the military and if they're speaking an alien language you feel totally apart and totally left out. But if you can buy-in a little bit by starting to understand basic acronyms and jargon then it's not so foreign. You feel more comfortable being a part of that world."
The goal of the workshop is to have the volunteers walk away as a more effective asset to their units.
Cpt. Shayla Ray has been the State Family Program Director for three years and sees a clear benefit in this workshop.
"Our volunteers do a lot more than what we give them credit for sometimes. We want to make sure they have the tools, the resources, the networking opportunities to be able to support our units and our families."
Boynton felt strongly that the volunteers would be able to take what they learned at the workshop and apply it, thereby strengthen the units they support.
"This conference is empowering. If people take what they learn here and just apply a little bit of that and then maybe next month implement, the next thing, they'll find a great deal of success."
Contact your local Family Readiness Group leader for assistance with financial hardship, childcare, healthcare, or transition assistance.
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2016 07:20 |
| Story ID: | 202491 |
| Location: | ROUND ROCK, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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