On a Roll for Parks

County Parks volunteer Gardner Grady hits the trail on his mountain bike.

How does an avid mountain biker make sure his favorite trails are in tip-top condition? Why help to maintain them, of course, and that’s just what Gardner Grady does for the County Parks and Recreation Department. He rides an average of three days a week and puts some of that time, ten to 12 hours a month, into biking for Parks’ volunteer patrol team. He’s proved to be so valuable a volunteer the County Board of Supervisors gave Grady a proclamation Tuesday and recognized Grady as Volunteer of the Month.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob presents a proclamation to Gardner Grady recognizing him as the Volunteer of the Month.

Why so much for County Parks?

“I have a passion for quality trails,” said Grady.

He joined the patrol team in 2008 and his job is to check trail conditions, report on the wildlife he sees and how many hikers, bicyclists and equestrians he runs across while on patrol.

“He’s our extra eyes and ears,” said Parks and Recreation Chief Amy Harbert.

While he rides and performs trail work throughout the County Parks trail system, Grady spends most of his time at the Goodan Ranch/Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve in Poway because it’s near his home.  

Grady is self-employed in the graphics business but he’s served as past president of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association. The organization partnered with County Parks in the “Adopt a Trail” program. Over the years Grady has led trail work parties and attended many meetings promoting mountain biking and non-motorized multi-use trails. 

“He’s the epitome of a volunteer,” said Parks Volunteer Services Coordinator Cheryl Wegner. “He has a passion for trails and he also understands the bigger picture.”

Grady is among more than 3,000 people who volunteer for the County Parks and Recreation Department every year. More than 400 give their time on a regular basis. Altogether, that adds up to more than 97,000 service hours saving taxpayers about $2 million a year.   

Triumph Over Oklahoma Tornado

Michael, Sarah and Lisa Gross.
Sometimes the excitement of winning season can feel like a tornado. For one local softball team their winning season put them in the middle of a real tornado.

Sarah Gross, 13, is a member of the Mystic 2000 girls softball team and daughter of County employees Michael and Lisa Gross.

Michael, who has worked for the County for nearly 29 years, is a budget manager for Child Support Services, and Lisa is an administrative analyst III with County Counsel.

The Mystic 2000 team ended their softball season with a win in the silver division of the Triple Crown World Series and by the way, they also survived an F5 category tornado in Oklahoma  last May.

On Tuesday, Chairman Greg Cox said the Board of Supervisors invited Sarah to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board meeting because of the team’s big win.

He also noted the girls had raised more than $2,000 for the family of a 9-year-old girl softball player killed in the first Moore, Oklahoma tornado May 20. The Mystic 2000 team went to Oklahoma on May 29 for a softball game and to give their donation to the family.

Then a second tornado struck that day.  The team had gone to a Women’s World Series softball game but was sent back to their hotel to take shelter from the approaching tornado, said father Michael Gross. There was no basement, but the hotel had an emergency plan for guests.

“We were all in the hotel bathroom. Our whole team almost in two stalls,” said Sarah. “We were holding onto each other for support.” She added the tornado experience helped the girls on the team bond even more.

Michael said, “They were scared. I mean obviously scared … there was some crying.”

He recalled that waiting for the tornado was the worst part and it seemed to take a very long time for the storm to pass. He was trying to watch news reports until the power went out. Eventually Michael went outside and shot video of the tornado headed straight for them.

In the end the tornado, which was 2.5 miles wide, spun up and never touched down near them. They were all safe. As it passed overhead, the sky darkened as if it were night and hail the size of golf balls rained down. The winds reportedly blew about 60-70 mph.

Who would imagine that Oklahoma would have two F5 tornados in less than two weeks, Michael asked. He joked that he’d never return to the Midwest.

If his story sounds familiar, you may have heard his voice on the local news stations. During the tornado and immediately after, Michael said he got calls from local news stations and he let them know what was going on with the girls.

Michael said afterward he and some of the girls went to Moore to see the damage for themselves and it looked almost like a lunar landscape.

“It was just numbing. It’s like nothing ever existed,” he said.

He said they also spoke with some people who were trying to find their belongings among all the debris.

“My daughter will never forget seeing that. It’s not just about softball … there’s a bigger picture out there. It’s all about human spirit. They weren’t giving up, they were going to rebuild,” Michael said.

Sarah added, “It really gave me a new perspective with how people deal with natural disasters.”

And despite that big scare, the Mystic 2000 team did go on to win two games in Oklahoma. They also handed off the money they collected for the family of the girl killed by the first tornado and her family was very grateful.

The Mystic 2000 team went on to win five of six major series, Michael said.

“These girls have been training for a long time. I mean, they’re a strong bunch of girls,” he said.

Much Has Changed in 50 Years; County Employee’s Job Hasn’t

The year Gary Hartpence started working at the County, lava lamps and touch tone telephones were hot inventions. A gallon of gas cost 30 cents. Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and the nation was devastated by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

On July 18, 1963, Hartpence reported to work as an Engineering Technician I at a Quonset hut on Rosecrans Street, home to part of the County Department of Public Works’ operations. When he arrived that summer day, Hartpence faced a choice. Did he want to work in the department’s surveying or engineering materials lab operations? He chose the latter.

Five decades later, Hartpence, now 75 and an Engineering Technician III, still works in DPW’s Engineering Materials lab, which is now in Kearny Mesa. He is the only employee in the County’s records to have put in 50 years of service, according to the County Department of Human Resources. The Board of Supervisors recognized his staggering achievement at their meeting Tuesday.

Not surprisingly, Hartpence is often asked whether he plans to retire. He brushes the questions off with his dry sense of humor.

“I’m going to make you all carry me out of here in a pine box,” is how he said he jokingly responds.
Besides, the older he gets the more fun he has, Hartpence said. He can’t imagine enjoying retirement as much.

“I’ve seen a lot of people come and go,” he said. “I noticed a funny thing happens to people who retire.” They aren’t around much longer, he joked.

As an Engineering Technician III, Hartpence has traveled around the county testing the soil at construction sites to ensure it is safe and ready to withstand development, public and private. He also checked asphalt being used to build public roads to make sure it was up to standard. He has worked on hundreds if not thousands of infrastructure projects—water and sewer lines, projects at airports, parks and recreation-related--over the years. He worked on such major thoroughfares as Encinitas Boulevard, Poway Road, Scripps Poway Parkway and Winter Gardens Boulevard in Lakeside. Hartpence has particularly loved his work surveying land, describing it as the most fun he ever had.

One of his favorite projects came in the 1970s when Hartpence was tasked with surveying a piece of donated land that was to become Oakoasis Preserve in Lakeside. The land wasn’t accessible by road. So Hartpence and a colleague had to get creative. They borrowed a boat from the city of San Diego and rode across nearby San Vicente Reservoir to reach the property. At another time, they even got a ride in a helicopter then carried the surveying equipment in on their backs.

Some of the terrain he’s surveyed was so rugged or remote that hadn’t been visited by anyone in years. He’s seen mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and was even attacked by a swarm of bees once doing this work. He and his co-worker just covered themselves up with some equipment  and they turned out OK.

Hartpence’s supervisor, Senior Civil Engineer Larry Horsman, said he often relies on the longtime employee’s extensive knowledge and institutional memory. Consulting records is one thing, but being able to talk directly with someone who was there has come in handy.

“Having that history available is a rare and valuable commodity for the County and for me,” Horsman said. 

Horsman said Hartpence recalls not only the details but he also has a broad perspective based on his years of work history.

“You can train a lot of things, but you can’t train experience,” Horsman said.

Hartpence was born in 1937 in Orange County. His family moved briefly to Ohio, then returned to California, this time San Diego, when his father got a job at Miramar Naval Air Station. Hartpence and his family moved to El Cajon in 1952 when he was 15 years old. He has never left East County, graduating from Grossmont High School, and then taking classes at San Diego State University in the 1950s. His entry into Public Works came when he took a job working on sewer systems at the City of San Diego in 1959. He worked in the Department of Public Works there for four years before shifting to the County’s DPW.

Hartpence’s coworkers have even relied on expertise built through one of his hobbies: flying at Gillespie Field. He learned to fly 40 years ago at the County’s airport in El Cajon and flies with friends. That knowledge of the airport and surrounding area has helped the department, Horsman said.
Hartpence also builds model airplanes, ships and cars. And he’s a big reader, particularly enjoying history books about the origins of World War II.

Where does he find the energy to work so hard for so many years? Hartpence said he’s never smoked, and he’s always gotten a lot of exercise on the job. Admittedly, he moves a little slower than he used to, but Hartpence said he’s still is agile.

Hartpence also said he’s had a chance to work with some great people over the years. That has been a factor in staying as long as he has. 

Walking around the engineering materials lab on a recent day, it was obvious how much respect and affection his co-workers had for him. Hartpence jokingly introduced one of his colleagues as his son, though it was clear from their different ethnic backgrounds that they weren’t related. Everyone laughed.

“These guys are like my family,” Hartpence said.

Gary Hartpence received a standing ovation as the Board of Supervisors presented him with a proclamation.

Look Up in the Sky, It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Supernurse!

It was mid-flight and Merlita Layug had settled in to get a little rest. Layug, a licensed vocational nurse with the Health and Human Services Agency, was on an early morning flight with her husband.

It was on the first leg of their return journey home, from Baltimore to Chicago, when Layug heard a flight attendant make an urgent plea for any medical personnel. There was an onboard emergency.

“I was sleeping, but when they called I raised my hand,” said Layug. “I thought I was able to do a good Samaritan deed.”

Despite not feeling well herself, Layug knew she could help. She was led to an older man, maybe around 70 years old who was unconscious and slumped in his seat. Layug checked:  he had a faint, irregular pulse; and was pale, clammy and sweating profusely.

“When I look at the man, his shirt was like water,” she said. “You could squirt the water out and he was dripping with perspiration.”

The man did not respond when she spoke to him and shook him. She immediately requested oxygen and administered it while monitoring the man for changes or signs of improvements.

“I just wanted to help and get this man breathing and conscious again,” she said. “After about 15 minutes of giving him oxygen, all of the sudden he opened his eyes.”

“The first thing I said was ‘Sir, what is your name?’” Layug said.

The man said his name was Charles. She asked him to take two deep breaths for her and he did.

Layug said she then interviewed the man, asking him a series of medical questions to see if she could figure out what happened.

“He started to have a conversation with me so I felt better,” she said. “(Earlier) I was prepared to put him in the aisle and do CPR.”

Layug said she was glad she was able to use her expertise and training from the County and hospitals where she had worked previously.

“I felt so good when he reached my hand and said Thank you so much’ and ‘God bless you,’” she said. “When I said everything was OK, everyone clapped their hands.

“It was just a good feeling when you help someone. “

Before the plane landed, the flight crew approached Layug to thank her and get some information about her.

“They said, ‘Thank you so much, you are a hero,’” she said.

Then the Southwest crew presented her with a voucher for a free flight.

Charles thanked her, too, and promised he would see his doctor.

Layug did have one problem while she was helping Charles. She told the flight crew she was unable to check the man’s blood pressure because the plane noise made it impossible to hear a pulse with the manual blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from the plane’s medical kit. Layug is hoping now Southwest will make a change in their first aid supplies.

“You can’t take blood pressure manually on the airplane, because you can’t hear anything because of the noise from the plane,” she said. “After the episode was cleared, I made a recommendation that they provide digital blood pressure monitors in their planes.”

Hopefully, when Layug chooses to use the flight voucher she received, the flight will be less eventful. But if it isn’t, she’s ready to help again if necessary.

Dance, Jog, Kayak--Doesn’t Matter, Just Move!

Sign-ups Start Monday for Popular Online Exercise Program ‘Thrive Across America’

Maybe you already hit the treadmill or bike path regularly.

If you’re like a lot of us, you could use an extra nudge to ensure you’re fitting exercise in your routine.

That’s where Thrive Across America comes in.

The County is bringing back the popular online exercise program, offered through Kaiser Permanente. Starting Monday, employees can sign up for Thrive Across America, which will be held over an eight week period from Aug. 5 to Sept. 30. The program, which was also offered last year, encourages participants to exercise at least 30 minutes a day and then log the activity online. Based on the amount of exercise you record, you move along a virtual route from Maine to Hawaii, passing landmarks along the way. 

Employees can sign up individually or in teams and exercise in a wide variety of ways, from running, yoga, swimming and surfing to fencing, fly fishing or figure skating.

All active participants will receive awards. The top 10 performing teams and top three male and female individual winners will be recognized with special awards.

The program is also one of several employees can complete to become eligible for the iPad opportunity drawing at the end of the year. For more information on the drawing, see this information sheet (PDF).

Thrive Across America encourages employees to stay active, said William Erese, Wellness Coordinator for the County’s Department of Human Resources. It also helps build camaraderie among co-workers through competition.

Some good-natured rivalries even developed last year, and are expected to carry over into this year’s program, Erese said. Teams from the Department of Human Resources tied for first, and finished second and fourth, he said. Employees there are hoping to defend their first place finish, but they will face some competition. Erese said he’s received many inquiries from employees in other departments asking when the program will start again.

Not only can employees track their progress on a virtual route, but they also receive emails with recipes, and tips on weight and stress management, Erese said.

Thrive Across America was very successful last year, drawing a total of 1,455 participants. The vast majority were actively engaged, logging in their times three or four times a week. Over the 12 week period, participants logged a total of 2,245,232 minutes of exercise, Erese said.

“There are some programs that, as the years go by, they become a tradition,” Erese said. “Out of respect for those programs, you keep them as part of your tradition.”

For more information, visit thriveacrossamerica.com or look at the “Employee Wellness Program” section on InSite.

Instant Messaging, Desktop Sharing and More

You have several new ways to get in touch with and work with your colleagues, and you may not even know it.

The County recently made Microsoft Lync, a suite of communications tools, available to all employees whose IT is handled by HP. There’s no cost to the individual user.  You’ll need to install it yourself, but once you do, you can start…

Instant Messaging

Just like many instant messaging (IM) services in use, Lync allows you to open a chat window for a back and forth text exchange with another employee – or several.

If you haven’t used IM before, you may wonder what the advantage is over email. Felicia Brown-Walton of the County Technology Office explains it’s especially good for short, simple questions – things that need yes or no answers. The windows disappear when done and the exchanges won’t clog up your email inbox. 

Web Conferencing

You don’t need to stop at text. Lync allows video conferencing, though you will need to set up a web cam if you want others to see you.

Desktop Sharing

Perhaps you’ve been through this often frustrating scenario:  you’re talking to someone on the phone, trying to explain something you’re looking at on your computer screen.

“I wish you could see what I’m seeing,” Brown-Walton recalls saying in these situations. Desktop sharing lets users look – with their permission – at each other’s computer screens.  

“Now you can show them and they can see, this is what I’m talking about,” Brown says.

More

Lync has more features and the County plans to expand the services it offers even further in the future. For now, the goal is to get employees aware of the tool and interacting with each other through it.

“The more people who are using it, the more powerful a tool it is,” Brown says.

To get started, visit CTO’s Knowledge Base and look for the Lync Install Instructions. You can follow that with additional tip sheets from the same page. There is also training for Lync in the Learning Management System (LMS).

Edgemoor Program Gets National Recognition

About two years ago, Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility created a program specifically designed for patients suffering from dementia, mental illness and aggression.

The goal of the program, called Sierra Stroll, was to engage these residents in social and physical activities to improve their physical and mental health.

The improvements in residents’ behavior and attitude led Edgemoor to be named the 2013 Not for Profit Program of the Year by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living. This group represents more than 12,000 non-profit and for-profit skilled nursing centers across the country. The award will be presented in Phoenix in early October.

“Sierra Stroll is special because it adapts more traditional outpatient behavioral therapy to residents in skilled facilities with significant cognitive, physical and interpersonal limitations,” said Edgemoor Administrator Walter Hekimian. “We’re very proud of the positive impact the program is having on our residents.”

Sierra Stroll encourages residents to engage in activities such as walking, listening to music, dancing, or playing cards outdoors.

The program has also helped improve interaction between residents and to decrease aggression and other negative behaviors. It also has led to a reduction in the residents’ need for psychoactive medications and has increased their physical activity.

County Employees Recognized By Juvenile Justice Commission

Correctional Deputy Probation Officer Naomi Eddy was one of the recipients of the Juvenile Justice Awards.Last January, the Probation Department, the Juvenile Court and the County Department of Education were turned upside down to deal with a tragic and complex situation: a 10-year-old juvenile detainee, who had fatally stabbed a playmate, said Kathleen Edwards, a Juvenile Justice commissioner. The boy’s age alone would have been complex but he also was diagnosed with several emotional and behavioral disorders and he stayed in custody for 15 months, she said.

Juvenile Hall Director Craig Stover went above and beyond to create a safe place for the boy while the court system determined if the boy was competent to stand trial. The first thing Stover did was to provide educational seminars for the staff that would be working with the child on the disorders that the boy was being treated for, and he personally escorted the child to court, Edwards said. He also made sure he was able to visit his adoptive mother and family when they came to visit him.

“He became like a grandfather figure,” said Edwards.

Correctional Deputy Probation Officer Naomi Eddy, assigned to Juvenile Hall, stepped in as his mom-away-from-home while he was there, she said. She read him stories, praised his artwork and comforted him when the older children gave him a hard time, Edwards said.

“It’s no exaggeration to say, she loved him and he loves her,” Edwards said. So much so that when it was time for him to go, it was hard for him to leave, she added.

“I know their compassion made a difference to him,” said Edwards.

Stover and Eddy both were honored with a 2013 Juvenile Justice Commission award for their extraordinary efforts. They were among the dozens of law enforcement, courts employees and youth programs employees who   were given awards at a luncheon Thursday at the University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. Many of those who received awards were County employees who work with troubled youths.

The boy, who turned 11 while at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Hall, was ultimately found not competent to stand trial, was released from Juvenile Hall, and placed in a residential treatment facility until his mental competency can be resolved.

“We’re all happy to hear he’s doing well at his new placement,” said Eddy. She said the child’s attorney sent her a photo of the boy playing at the facility to show her he was adjusting well and was happy.
Stover did not attend the luncheon because he was on vacation, but Supervising Probation Officer Judy Goldberg said his efforts “set a precedent for how to deal with young cases. He really educated everyone involved.”

Also honored were:

• Kim Ranson, Protective Services Supervisor, was given a Child Welfare Services award for her work with drug court clients. She collects toys every year at Christmas for drug court clients to give to their children.

• Jason Rouse, San Diego County Sheriff’s Detective assigned to the San Marcos station, was presented with a Law Enforcement award for his work presenting the START SMART teen driving program at North County high schools

• Michele Linley, San Diego County District Attorney’s Juvenile Branch Chief, received the Juvenile Court award for  making sure  the best interests of minors are served while also serving the safety of the community

• Pam Medhurst, a volunteer with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue team, won the Volunteer award for creating a “Don’t Run Away, Stay Found” educational program for children featuring Simon, the beagle puppet (Watch video of a lesson)

• Cyndi Jo Means, Deputy District Attorney in the Juvenile Branch and the San Diego County Truancy Court Collaboration which includes Christina Nyikes, Probation Director, and deputy probation officers Elizabeth Oyler, Elizabeth Santillan, and Lisa Aguilera of the truancy supervision unit for their work to help youth overcome habitual truancy.

• Carol Isackson, Superior Court Judge, won a Judges award for educating new judges about the issues they will encounter in family court

• Richard Cline, Superior Court Judge, received the Community Involvement award for participating in a youth day at the courthouse

Probation Department workers were recognized as part of the collaborative truancy court.From L to R: Probation Director Christina Nyikes and deputy probation officers Elizabeth Oyler, Elizabeth Santillan, and Lisa Aguilera. Sheriff's Search and Rescue volunteer Pam Medhurst (center) won the volunteer award. Sheriff's Search and Rescue volunteer and Pam's husband Rich Medhurst and Capt. Sherri Sarro nominated Medhurst for the award. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis (center) congratulates deputy district attorneys Cyndi Jo Means (L) and Michele Liinley for their work with troubled youth.Sheriff's Deputy Jason Rouse (holding the award) received an award for his work with teen driver education. From L to R: Capt. Duncan Fraser, Deputy Randy Avila, Capt. Scott Ybarrondo, Lt. James Bolwerk, and Sgt. Daniel Deese.

HHSA Employee by Day, Novelist by Night

She is a terrible poet and a mediocre autobiography writer; however she has written, and published, her first novel.

Say what? See, once upon a time…

No, no, no. That is not how the story begins.

Selena Jones’ novel is about super villains. But more on that later.

We’ll begin by telling you that Jones, 36, attempted to write her first novel in 8^th grade but you will never get to read it.

“It’s awful,” said Jones. “It won’t see the light of day and that is OK.”

She tried writing poetry but it was awful too.

If you think our choice of words is not nice, rest assured they are not ours. They came from her. Well, at least indirectly since her cousin who wrote her short biography on Amazon and the About the Author page in her book. Her cousin also designed the cover and the artwork within the book.

“I am not good at talking about myself,” she said.

 See, what Jones is really good at is writing stories. She has been honing her craft and waiting for the perfect story for over two decades. Along the way, Jones earned two Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre from San Diego State University. She also got married 10 years ago, started working for the County and had two children—two boys, ages 6 and 4.

Jones has written five novels, including one that was published a few months back.

She has been a human services specialist with the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) for the past 10 years. She works at HHSA by day and writes at night, on weekends and practically all of her free time.

 “I just want to write a good story,” Jones said.

 Writing is not the only thing Jones is good at. She is great in her job with HHSA’s California Children Services (CCS), a countywide program that treats children with certain physical limitations and chronic health conditions or diseases.

“She is an excellent worker who continuously receives recognitions for her contributions to the CCS program,” said Maria Castillo, Jones’ supervisor. “We are very proud of her for her accomplishment of having her first book published.”

Now back to Jones’ super villains.

They came to her in three dreams she had several years ago, but did not find their way into her laptop until 2011 during November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an annual event when writers from all over the world attempt to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. Jones has attended the past five years and plans to do so again.

During 2011’s NaNoWriMo, Jones wrote nearly 70,000 words but the majority of her novel had to be discarded and re-written.

The end result was a novel with no super heroes but plenty of super villains. Think of it as the anti-Harry Potter.

“It’s all bad guys and no good guys in the book,” said Jones, who had her novel edited by her brother—also a writer—and some friends who are teachers.

She published it using Createspace, Amazon.com’s self-publishing platform. And if you are wondering whether it’s is easy, Jones said it is not.

“It’s very time consuming because it has to be perfect,” said Jones, who grew up in El Cajon and still lives there. Jones lives with her husband and two children.

How much does self-publishing cost? It’s actually free and Amazon will pay the writers a percentage of the books sold.

Jones’ book sells for $11.36 on paperback and $3.99 on Kindle.

“Every Day is Like Doomsday” has sold 69 copies so far, so Jones has not made a lot of money, but she hopes to make a little more in the future when she publishes her other upcoming novels, including one she is writing about zombies (her brother had the dream this time) and the sequel to “Doomsday.”

In addition to writing, Jones also loves movies like Star Wars, plays ukulele, bakes treats, teaches yoga at work during morning breaks and runs the occasional half-marathon.

Yes, she is a Comic-Con freak and she will be there this weekend giving free e-versions of “Every Day is Like Doomsday” to Kindle users. If you go to the Comic-Con and don’t recognize her from the photo above, look for someone dressed as American McGee's Alice, a dark version of Alice.

“I write because I love it,” said Jones. “I start writing and just let go. I know my characters. Hopefully they take me somewhere interesting.”

Standout Memories at Stand Down

Stand Down just wrapped up over the weekend but the three-day event to help homeless veterans left an indelible impression on one of our own. Housing and Community Development’s Julie Odlum was one of several department staffers who volunteered on their own time to help out. In a brief write-up to her supervisor, see what the Housing Specialist had to say about the experience “In Her Own Words.”

It was my first time volunteering at Stand Down and I thought it was amazing. I am so impressed with how organized it was and just how many people are involved in making it all happen. I initially wanted to volunteer on the first day (Friday), but the volunteer slots had already been filled for that day, so I accepted a slot on Sunday, from 6 am – 12 noon and I was scheduled to be a volunteer runner. Upon arrival, I was sent to work in the Command Unit.  There was a woman in charge by the name of Linda (from Veterans Village of San Diego) and another person by the name of Jack (retired military, 13-year volunteer at Stand Down). They were both on top of it and just handled everything in stride as it came in. Linda in particular was absolutely amazing. She was a bundle of energy and just seemed to know who everyone was and how to anticipate their needs. The Command Unit had an abundance of volunteers so I took it upon myself to find things to do. I picked up trash, I cleaned off tables, greeted people, etc…… I basically just looked for something that needed to be done and did it.

After having breakfast (volunteers were provided with breakfast which was a pleasant surprise!) I was sent over to work in the clothing tent which was a huge tent, divided in to one side for women and the other side for men. Once again, so much organization went in to this, it was incredible. There were oh, so many clothes available, categorized by size and type of clothing. Then on top of that there was another set of volunteers in the back sorting and bringing out more clothes as the morning went on. I was assigned, along with several others to escort vets, one at a time, through the tent. Each vet could have 15 minutes to go through the tent and was issued two pairs of new underwear and two pairs of socks and then each vet could select one pair of shoes and was allowed to take as much clothing as they could carry (not using a bag). People for the most part, were very appreciative and it was really fun helping people select clothes. It truly was an honor for me to thank them for their service as they left the tent.

The loyalty and dedication that exists at Stand Down is contagious. I loved the environment. People were so friendly. The most memorable part to me about the whole day was early in the morning, perhaps about 7 or 8 a.m. when everyone was called to attention and asked to face the flag (there was a huge U.S. flag hung up on the wall of the handball courts). We listened to the Star Spangled Banner being sung by a man and a woman up on stage and then we were all led to say the Pledge of Allegiance together. It was a very beautiful and emotional experience, as there was such a strong sense of pride for our country that came from the entire camp as it came to a halt to salute and honor the U.S. and our veterans.