Photo By Master Sgt. Ryan Campbell | Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Girard, a recruiting and retention NCO, Robert Schrader,...... read more read more
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HERKIMER, N.Y., (Aug. 26, 2020) – Ten Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard volunteered their time to come out to Herkimer County Community College to help distribute milk and fresh produce to county residents on August 26.
Recruiters who support the Herkimer region shifted their focus from recruiting new Soldiers to supporting their community as a result of COVID-19 and the hardships it has brought.
County legislators were able to arrange 1,200 boxes of milk and 1,200 boxes of produce donated by the American Dairy Association North East and local farmers associations to hand out to community members in need.
“As COVID-19 has made recruiting events scarce, my team has really focused on supporting community service functions to stay in contact with our local populations and maintain a positive and visible presence,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Girard, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the recruiting team.
According to Girard, this is the third time dairy and produce has been distributed in Herkimer County with the New York Army National Guard taking part in the most recent two. More than 1,000 families have come through the three distribution events, she added.
“This isn’t a mission that was assigned to the Army National Guard,” Girard said. “This is a mission a local recruiting team volunteered for, to show up when people needed help.”
The roads leading to the college were lined with vehicles well before the 11 a.m. scheduled start time. Police and Guardsmen were along the way to direct residents where to go.
“It’s just simply the right thing to do, helping out our communities,” said Sgt. Steven Ludwig, a recruiting and retention NCO for Herkimer County.
Ludwig said that by the end of the four hours the distribution site was open, 500 gallons of milk and 15,000 pounds of produce were handed out to families. They would pull up in their vehicles where volunteers would place the items in their trunk, ensuring contactless distribution.
This comes after a July 30th event that recruiters also volunteered, where 800 gallons of milk and 25,000 pounds of produce were handed out, Ludwig continued.
“As far as we know, this will go on till around October,” Ludwig said. “The location will change but as long as it’s anywhere in our area, our recruiting team will come out to help.”
While the group of volunteers included civilians and local legislators, the recruiters did make up the bulk of the team and handled everything from handing out the products to directing traffic.
“I want to thank the National Guard from the bottom of my heart,” said Robert Schrader, the Herkimer County District 3 Legislator. “I look forward to working with the National Guard each time I have one of these events. It shows people that the military is here to help and that’s the biggest thing.”
For the recruiters, helping to hand out food reminded them of why they joined the National Guard.
“This is absolutely why I joined the National Guard as opposed to active duty or any other branch,” Ludwig said.
“When I volunteered at this event on July 30th it reminded me how good people actually are,” Girard said. “It was heartwarming. I reminded me why I love this job.”
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2020 15:05 |
| Story ID: | 376942 |
| Location: | HERKIMER, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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