Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Lewis | 200508-N-TR141-0091 NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (May 8, 2020) Lt. Cmdr. Christon Duhon...... read more read more
This isn’t your typical food drive. Think about it: when was the last time a pandemic - in which people lost their jobs or had to stay indoors for weeks - occurred? We cannot deny that our community has been impacted by COVID-19. Though we are guests of the Kingdom of Spain, this country has become our home. By choosing to help our local community during a time of need, we can raise spirits and give people hope.
To do that, Lt. Cmdr. Christon Duhon and Hospitalman Manuel Soto, both assigned to U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Rota, and Cmdr. Samuel Ravelo, a chaplain assigned to Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, conceptualized the GiveBack project and brought it to life with the help of Boy Scouts of America Troop 73.
The GiveBack project name represents the welcoming, helpful, and supportive community of Rota and El Puerto de Santa Maria, and is a way for the base community to give back to their community in this difficult time. This project was developed not just to help a few families, but rather with the goal of aiding as many as possible within the local communities of Rota and El Puerto de Santa Maria.
“My family and I have lived in and loved this community for over a decade,” said Dr. Marcy Baudistel Bond, a teacher at Rota David Glasgow Farragut schools. “We feel blessed to be a part of such a beautiful and welcoming community. Giving back is something we wholeheartedly believe in and preach to our four children, so of course we were so happy to have the opportunity to give back to the community we call home!”
The GiveBack project offers two ways for the community to donate. First, the organizers have set up donation boxes for food or non-perishable items at the base chapel, housing office (across from USNH Rota), and the Boy Scouts Hut in the base housing area. To date, the community has filled six tri-wall boxes with donations, making one delivery possible so far.
Alternatively, the project established an online donation fund where 100 percent of money donated will be used to purchase food items from off-base grocery stores. So far, the community has given $940, and one grocery purchase has been made at a local supermarket, who in turn matched a small portion of the purchase with their own donation to the cause.
The GiveBack organizers are coordinating with the NAVSTA Rota Spanish Liaison Office, which is in contact with the city hall officials from both El Puerto and Rota, in order to organize the pickup or delivery of the donations from the installation for coordinated distribution within their cities.
Giving food, water, or even clothing doesn’t just supply a family with basic necessities, it gives local families respite, while showing that strangers do care. We – both Americans and Spanish – are in this together. The impact of the GiveBack project will ripple throughout the area in coming weeks and will continue to emphasize and strengthen the bond between our two communities.
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2020 06:49 |
| Story ID: | 370372 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 251 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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