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COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 07, 2024 – Public Service Recognition Week is a time dedicated to honoring the men and women serving our nation as federal, state, county, and local government employees.
This year, during the week-long celebration, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service is taking a unique approach to show appreciation for our staff. Each day of the week, DFAS will spotlight a different employee, sharing their stories and contributions to work and community that show our integrity, service, and innovation. These features aim to not only recognize the hard work and dedication of these individuals but also to inspire and educate the public about the critical roles they play in the functioning of government operations. Join us as we highlight the unsung heroes behind the scenes at DFAS during Public Service Recognition Week.
Kelli Crawford
Call it fate, a happenstance or perfect timing, but a brief lunch encounter in 2017 may have changed Kelli Crawford’s life trajectory in.
Crawford was out for lunch in Delaware, not too far from where she grew up in Dublin. She didn’t think she had a super-privileged life, but when she moved to Delaware, she wasn’t aware of how much poverty was there.
How it all started
“I was genuinely surprised at what was around me,” Crawford explained. “I was at lunch, and I overheard a man’s voice asking for some extra money to buy a hotdog.”
“His name was Phillip. I assumed he was a college student from a nearby school,” Crawford said about her brief encounter. “I didn’t think anything of it.”
Crawford offered to help and, in that moment, changed more than one life.
“I had never been in a homeless camp, but when I go to church, they are always talking about helping people,” Crawford explained. Just like that, her friends waited at the restaurant while she went down near the river to see Phillip’s setup.
“He didn’t say he was homeless; I’ve learned that most homeless people actually say they are ‘between homes,’” Crawford explained.
Crawford happened to have a friend looking for employees in a restaurant, so she helped the two of them connect. Phillip even joined the Crawford family for Thanksgiving.
“I didn’t tell my parents ahead of time,” Crawford said. “We are a ‘there’s always room for one more at the table’ kind of family, so I knew it would be okay. I’ve always brought people home for holiday dinners—even in college. Phillip and my dad ended up talking about goals, where he wanted to go in life, and Phillip’s aspiration to go to school for healthcare.”
Crawford’s eyes were opened.
“He was the catalyst for me to get involved with the homeless,” Crawford said.
Crawford got involved with nearby St. Mary’s church, where she would eventually volunteer.
“It gets really cold in the winter up there and they open the doors to bring people inside so they don’t freeze to death,” she explained. “I went to ask what they needed and turns out they needed volunteers more than things,” she added.
“I got other friends involved as well—some who could give more than time, and we went to Walmart at least once a month and bought yoga mats to put under their sleeping bags or bedrolls,” Crawford said. “Sadly, we had to try to find containers for drinks that wouldn’t be stolen. We learned crime was a huge issue,” she added.
The people that Crawford and her friends were able to help ranged in age from teens to elderly individuals.
“One gentleman who I worked with had diabetes, no healthcare at all, in his late 70’s,” Crawford said. “Here some of us are worried about our next Starbucks in our 20s, and this man—who I think was also a veteran, was struggling with where to sleep at night.”
After leaving Delaware and moving back to Dublin, it really landed for Crawford that everyone has a story and she’s incorporated that mantra into her life mission. Its who she is.
Crawford came to DFAS in 2019. Her public service began with her role as an accounting technician supporting Army customers in resolving current and historical financial issues within the GFEBS ERP system. She then served Air Force customers as part of the Air Force systems help desk.
Finding the connection
In her position in Accounts Payable-Acquisition as a staff analyst, Crawford served all Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force customers by leading several high-level projects, and she also volunteered during the strategic council, where discussions with DFAS senior executives and other senior leaders shape the future of our agency.
Shortly after arriving and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Crawford noticed that employees on her team weren’t very connected.
“We were having a lot of turn over with employees,” Crawford said. “We had a small newsletter going around, but it wasn’t anything huge, so with the support of my supervisor Amie Dove, I took over and created employee spotlights,” she added.
At first, the newsletter was just names, faces, and new people, but then it grew.
“I started including details like their favorite hot sauces or special talents,” Crawford said. “It was really neat to see other people and what they do outside of work.
It’s a way that led Crawford to be connected to her directorate, with whom she’s working with.
“People were sharing their own accomplishments, it was fun, we had a section called 'Meet the Chief,' where we did our branch and division chiefs, we had a new director during that time as well and it was great to get them involved and connected. We had never even met or seen each other at that time,” Crawford explained.
Crawford has recently received a promotion to division chief of Army AP. The person coming behind her wants to continue it. Her newsletter and spotlights have been going on now for three years.
The next phase
But Crawford isn’t done; in fact, she’s evolving into the next phase of her public service outreach in new and different ways for DFAS. She’s looking for volunteer opportunities to do with her team.
Because of the experiences of the last few years, Crawford is always on the lookout to lend a hand.
“I know there are people we work with who are deciding whether to eat lunch or if they will have enough for dinner,” Crawford said. “I try to bring in food a lot—as much as I can, just to help out,” she added.
“I would love to spend an afternoon with Habitat for Humanity,” Crawford said. “There are seventeen of us, and a lot of impact could be made in an afternoon for sure,” she said.
For Crawford, it’s all about the mindset.
“Once your thought process changes—that’s it. That as a team we can do a lot more that just ourselves, it’s not ‘oh I’m just one person, what can I do’ it’s all of us, Crawford explained. “I have to remind myself of the luxuries I have with heat and AC, but it’s not what all other people have. If I can go make myself uncomfortable to make someone else more comfortable, then I’m happy to do it,” she added.
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2024 13:53 |
| Story ID: | 470549 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | DUBLIN, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Celebrating Service: Public Service Recognition Week at DFAS - Kelli Crawford, by Michelle Young, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
