By Ken F. Lewis
Independent Writer/ U.S. Navy veteran
As part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, U.S.VETS-Prescott honored the civil rights leader by sharing stories of service with members of the Prescott community. U.S.VETS Veterans and community members also toured the VA-Prescott Community Living Center (CLC) and visited with our senior Veterans.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Volunteers
The event started with veterans and citizens from the community writing letters to be delivered to the CLC Veterans. The groups delivered the letters as they visited with Veterans, some of which are in hospice. The visit encompassed patients sharing their past military experiences. One of the hospice patients shared his experiences serving in the Army during World War II in the Aleutian Islands.
The ambassadors for the VA campus tour were Tim Prater, Ryan Martinson, Tony Strong, Robert Laws, Rick Butler, Greg Mattingly, Will Sulu, Mike Mast, John Jones, Gary Poliakon, David Huxel, John Sayi, Darryl Silvius, and Ken Lewis. “The event was a great way to honor Dr. King by serving Veterans and the community,” said Tim Prater, Program Manager, U.S.VETS-Prescott.
Also included as part of the program was a visit from Jessica Schiefer with VA’s Volunteer Services. Schiefer informed veterans about opportunities to volunteer at the VA Medical Center. Volunteer opportunities with the American Folklife Center’s Veterans History Project, which collects personal stories from wartime veterans, were also presented by Schiefer.
Festivities included a pizza social and time to reflect on the day of service. “Visiting with veteran patients was a heartfelt experience that I would like to do more often,” said Ben Olsen, Program Coordinator with Yavapai County VISTA Project. Some of the other reflections were as follows:
Tony Strong (U.S. Army Ranger veteran):
“Many Americans have fought many wars for peace, and so that others may live free. One man, Martin Luther King, had a dream for all people to unite in peace. His dream lives on with us and our children.”
Robert Laws (U.S. Marine veteran):
“From one who understands to those who’ve always understood, this is a day for everyone.”
Will Sulu (Native American and U.S. Army veteran):
“What Dr. King did was for now. It was for us to put into practice now.”
U.S.VETS is a non-profit organization that provides housing, case management, career development and other services to veterans.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, a national program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, was hosted locally by Serve Yavapai, a program of the Yavapai County VISTA Project at Prescott College and Yavapai County AmeriCorps Project at Community Counts. “There is no more fitting way to honor Dr. King’s memory than by serving others, particularly those most in need,” said Erika Stone, VISTA Leader and Events Coordinator for Serve Yavapai.
