Fort Novosel volunteers support soldiers and Alabama’s Wiregrass

More than 250 volunteers from Fort Novosel are out getting things done both on post and in surrounding communities, helping to maintain good relations and support the installation needs for its mission.

Keeping a community running – like the ones found on and around Fort Novosel – requires a lot of work, not just from paid employees but from people willing to donate their time, energy and skills. To make this happen, Fort Novosel has a very active volunteer program that links up people with volunteer opportunities in the region. From turning wrenches at the museum and mentoring youths on post, to providing animal care at the humane society in town, Fort Novosel connects volunteers with positions.

“The program is so extensive and means so many things to so many people,” said Volunteer Coordinator Rachel Cespedes.

Talking with Fort Novosel volunteers, it’s easy to see they are looking for ways to give back the community and find fulfilling experiences.

“It’s a way to not be idle, but also to give back. The Army’s given me a lot of opportunities and, by extension, giving back to the communities that support the Army is like giving back to the Army for the opportunities they’ve given me,” said Staff Sgt. Marcus Charfauros, who volunteers with the museum, as well as the art collective in nearby Dothan.

Run by Army Community Services, the volunteer office can help connect interested people with volunteer work both on and off post. Connected with many different organizations in the region that need volunteers, the volunteer program will help people not only find a volunteer position but also work to find one that’s compatible with the volunteer.

“There’s a vetting process, and we gauge them, and each volunteer is placed with an organization and job that matches their interests,” Cespedes said.

While many different positions are available, according to the volunteer program website, there’s regular openings with activities like the Family Readiness Groups and Thrift Shop. Those with craft skills, or interest in supporting youth activities, coaching youth sports and other leadership and team building experience, are always in demand as well.

The volunteer positions aren’t just limited to soldiers or on-post activities. The volunteer office can also connect local volunteers with chances to help out, or on-post persons with community support opportunities as well. There’s no age limit, so it’s open to youth and retirees looking to volunteer.

While many people take on volunteer work to give back to their community, there are other benefits as well. Networking and meeting like-minded individuals are a benefit, and many people help with the religious services volunteer programs for this reason.

Another benefit is job skills. Oftentimes people may not have the requisite experience to get a job, be it a needed line on a resume or simply a lack of familiarity with a system the job requires. Volunteer work can help address this issue.

“A lot of time, people don’t know about different types of jobs, and volunteering allows opportunities to get your feet wet and try something out before fully committing to it and try out the different types of jobs and field,” said Sarah Saunders, whose volunteer work helped her get a job at Fort Novosel.

It’s easy to overlook the value of volunteers: They ask for nothing in return and are usually just happy to give back. But the work volunteers do every day is vital to Army readiness and maintaining a quality relationship with surrounding communities. According to Cespedes, Fort Novosel volunteers performed more than $1 million worth of work this year.

For soldiers there’s additional benefits as well. In addition to being recognized with one of Fort Novosel’s quarterly or annual volunteer awards, soldiers seeing advancement can use volunteer service hours to help earn awards and promotions.

“Some of these soldiers are doing it as part of their career advancement as well,” Cespedes said. “There’s the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, which is worth promotion points.”

For more information, the volunteer program can be found online here or call 334-255-9059.