Photo By Jennifer Scales | Frank Vass shows off his new and healthy physique, thanks to a new lease on life by...... read more read more
Frank Vass, Army Veteran and Red Coat Ambassador at the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, states his daughter Anne says, “Bye-bye Fluff”, to her now slimmer dad.
Since becoming an ambassador for the Columbia VA Health Care System in January 2019, Vass literally walks between 15,000-25,000 steps a day, with a noticeably and significant weight loss.
Beginning his 8 a.m. daily work trek which keeps his once ailing heart healthy, Vass is one of several Red Coat Ambassadors who greets Veterans, family members, visitors and staff to the medical center.
“I enjoy what I do,” he says. “From the Korean Veterans to those of the more recent conflicts since Desert Storm…all of the Veterans need a show of love and compassion, and it starts with me.”
Born in Roanoke, Va., Vass attended East Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, N.C. and Methodist University in Fayetteville. Like many who volunteered during that time period, Vass decided to join the military because he wanted to do something to support the nation.
The Army assigned him the military occupation specialty as a radio teletype operator. This opportunity landed him assignments from Germany to Seattle, with the latter location as a security interviewer at the Military Entrance Processing Station. After leaving the active force, he returned to the east coast in Charlotte, where he joined the Army Reserve.
When military life was complete, Vass spent 15 years in the ministry, serving as a chaplain for local and state Veterans organizations. He acquired his clinicals for pastoral education at Carolina Medical in Charlotte.
Also, as creative director for the Jeff Wood Show, shown on Roku on the Christian Ministry Channel, Vass put his creativity to work in video editing, creating commercials and coordinating music for that program.
He also worked with the United State Post Office, of which Vass notes, “Because of my age, I have been around and done a few work-related things.”
But somewhere along the line, life dealt Vass some blows from which he had some difficult recoveries.
Trying to get back on his feet, he spent time in homeless shelters.
“Yes, I failed several times and I had to come to a self-realization that I had to put one foot in front of the other to get my life back on track,” Vass said.
He wound up seeking healthcare for homeless Veterans, a population he had no intention of joining when he enlisted in the military. “I came to the VA on my own, seeking assistance. I didn’t want a hand-out, just a hand-up,” Vass said.
Once enrolled in the vocational rehabilitation program for Veterans, Vass thought he could see light at the end of the dark tunnel when he began a job with the Environmental Management Service team at the Dorn.
With a place to live, food to eat daily and even transportation, life should be good, right?
Think again.
According to Vass, he dealt with multiple life-threatening health issues that took several months to recuperate. Vass did eventually return to work at Dorn, applied for and was selected for one of the Red Coat Ambassador vacancies.
“Being an ambassador has allowed me to love on the Veterans,” Vass says. “Many of them are really physically hurting from disease and injuries, like I was; others are scared of what to expect when coming to the VA. Either way, that’s where I step in…to help them all.”
And that he does, by walking them around to appointments and various areas of the vast campus located in Columbia.
Coming on board at a hefty 250-plus pounds in January, Vass is proud of his significant weight loss and the stress taken off of his heart. “It’s easy for me to walk six to ten miles per day on this job,” he says. “The more I walk, the stronger my heart becomes.”
Homeless Program social worker for the Columbia VAHCS, Sherry Martell, admirably speaks of Vass’ progress on his journey of recovery and revelations. “He is one of our best ambassadors of the homeless program,” Martell said. “He doesn’t mind sharing his experiences and will talk to people about what our Homeless Program can accomplish. Sure, he has had a couple of falls in life, but that happens when you are trying to get back on track. It may not happen overnight, but you will eventually get it right.”
Vass says he frequently recalls something he was taught in Sunday school as a youngster. “Love thy neighbor. That’s what I try to do each and every day when I am here greeting either staff, Veterans or visitors. It’s just that important to me.”
| Date Taken: | 03.02.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.02.2019 13:38 |
| Story ID: | 312618 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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