We Serve...
Volunteering in Our Communities
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Ghandi
Misty's Story:
In 2012 we were living in the DC area and I was searching for groups to volunteer with. Most either did not get back to me or asked for donations, which was not what I was looking for. A good friend of mine had been posting on Facebook about this group that she was very involved with at Joint Base Lewis McChord and they were looking for volunteers to help at Marine Corps Marathon in DC. (A note here about myself, I am not good a new environments, a true introvert at heart).
But I took a deep breath, drove to Hains Point Park at o'dark thirty the morning of the Marine Corps Marathon and put on my first blue shirt. Walking about a mile down the road, I stood at the side of the road, American Flag in my hand, willing the tears to stay away. You see, to get to that spot, I walked by poster after poster of Fallen American service members. Faces that all have stories, frozen in time. Then I passed by the other volunteers, each holding their flags, each for a Fallen service member as well. As runners came by, you could see the emotion on their faces. It is a powerful mile. It made an indelible impression.
Shortly after that life-affirming morning, we moved to Fort Bliss and I got in contact with the group again. I wanted to have a community here and be more involved. After some planning and deep breaths, I started the El Paso meet-up of wear blue: run to remember. My first meet-up I had four people show, two of which were on their last weekend in El Paso. But I kept on, because it wasn't and still isn't, about the numbers. It is about taking a moment on Saturday to pause and remember.
As the last three years have gone by, I have gained more responsibility within the wear blue organization. I volunteered to help more with Memorial Day last year, I became the website coordinator - making sure the website is up to date, acting as a regional coordinator for the Pacific region.
The past few months, however, I have been transitioning to the national staff as the Director of Community meet-ups. I oversee all of the communities over the globe and bring new ones on as they show interest. We are an all-volunteer organization. I now travel to a few of our races around the country where we set up our Blue Mile. I now know and am friends with many of the people who submitted the photos on those very first posters I saw on the Mile and am inspired daily by their perseverance, strength and character. Each Mile I have had the honor to be a part of is still as humbling, awe-inspiring and powerful as that first one that dark morning in DC.