Photo By Chief Petty Officer Kathleen Gorby | 201217-N-BJ275-0031 SUNRISE, Fl. (Dec. 18, 2020) Aviation Boatswains Mate, Equipment...... read more read more
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NTAG Miami Spreads Holiday Cheer
By: Chief Mass Communications Specialist Kathleen Gorby
Sailors from Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Miami are helping to make the holidays a little brighter by collecting toys for children in need through the Toys for Tots program.
The Toys for Tots program was founded by the Marine Corps, but is open for anyone, civilian or military, to volunteer collecting toys using their easily recognizable, classic white carboard bins.
“We reached out to the program manager to see if there was anything we could do to support the cause,” said Construction Electrician 2nd Class Roxanne Brown. “We didn’t know if they were another organization shut down by COVID-19.”
Brown, a recruiter out of the Fort Lauderdale Recruiting Station, organized NTAG Miami’s participation in the toy drive. She also received help managing the drive from fellow Sailors.
“The Toys for Tots program is very important to me because they are the reason I received gifts as a kid,” said Aviation Boatswains Mate, Equipment 2nd Class Shakera Alexander. “We spent one Christmas in a family shelter and I remember being so excited to get those gifts. They meant the world to me.”
Toys for Tots has been collecting toys since 1947, distributing 584 million toys to 265 million children.
“After the boxes went up, we sent out the message about the drive to everyone working at NTAG Miami,” said Alexander. “It makes me feel good knowing I can rely on my fellow Sailors to help me give back to the less fortunate families.”
Alexander is not the only Sailor who didn’t receive gifts at Christmas. Growing up in Jamaica, Brown never received a gift either.
“Instead of presents we would travel to somewhere we have never been,” said Brown. “I didn’t get my first gift till I moved to Mississippi when I was 14.”
Both Alexander and Brown are active in their local communities and volunteer regularly. But this year, COVID-19 has made volunteering almost impossible.
“It’s the best that we can finely give back and help a family, especially during COVID-19,” said Brown. “We can help be a beacon of hope for a family.”
Alexander is looking forward to the day when she can start volunteering in person.
“Showing the community what the Navy is about is what makes this job fun,” said Alexander. “We show that the Navy is a good place and that we don’t only do what we need to keep this country safe but also give back to the local community,”
NTAG Miami is composed of the best naval officers, enlisted sailors, and civilian personnel operating in a 60,000 square mile territory. NTAG South and Central Florida from Brooksville (50 miles north of Tampa), east to Vero Beach, drawing a line under Orlando and south including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each year, the command accesses approximately 2,000 young men and women into the United States Navy.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MyNAVYHR), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2020 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 385349 |
| Location: | SUNRISE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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