ALASKA— Employees from the agency's Alaska Region have a lot to celebrate during National Volunteer Week in April. That's because many regional employees spend their time volunteering in their communities, supporting a variety of charities, and working to make a difference wherever and whenever possible. 

Employees shared that they consistently volunteer their time and experience throughout the year. From serving on school boards and cultural groups to volunteering for special community projects and with a variety of civic organizations, Alaska Region employees are certainly making an impact.

Here are some wonderful examples of the remarkable volunteer work being done by these active and caring federal workers:

TJ Holley is a data services specialist who volunteers as a trustee for the Cordova Historical Society. The organization's mission is to guide the museum staff as they develop new exhibits and programs and work to preserve the past for Cordova's future. "I love history and I love Cordova, so when you combine those two things it equals support to the Cordova Historical Society," Holley said. "I want our history preserved and shared so that our future generations know what it took to build this community and they will continue to both cherish it and take care of it."

Linda Slaght is the public services staff officer for the Petersburg Ranger District and volunteers as a service unit manager and troop leader in Petersburg. Slaght has been a Girl Scout volunteer in this Alaskan community since 1999, when she became the troop leader for her daughter's second grade Brownie troop (Troop 129). Slaght emphasized that there are never enough volunteers in her community. She chose to make a long-term commitment to Girl Scouts because she loves the mission and loves that the Girl Scouts provide this experience in a girl-only, girl-led environment. "It makes me feel like I'm doing something important that will have a lasting impact on the community."

Gina Esposito, an archaeologist for the Petersburg and Wrangell Ranger Districts, and Carin Christensen, a recreation lead on the Petersburg Ranger District, love the performing arts. They love the arts so much that they both volunteer at a nonprofit dance studio in Petersburg called the Mitkof Dance Troupe. The pair shared that being on the Mitkof Dance Troupe Board provides many volunteer opportunities. The nonprofit generally serves more than 150 Petersburg students by providing dance classes for ages 3-18. 
"We have a wonderful and very effective board that helps propel us forward as we tackle this pandemic. Like many other organizations, COVID-19 has greatly altered our program," shared the two volunteers.  "We spent the past year applying for grants, creating mitigation plans to keep our classes safe and finding new ways to keep kids dancing in Petersburg."

Susan Oehlers, a wildlife biologist, and Russel Wicka, a forestry technician, happily shared that they volunteer by collecting trash, such as plastic bottles, fishing debris and other plastic products, from Yakutat area beaches while out recreating and/or walking with their dogs. "It's just a little something we can do to help stem the accumulation and keep our beaches beautiful," said Oehlers and Wicka. "By posting photos on social media of our efforts and the type of trash we find, we hope to raise awareness of the problem and inspire others to do what they can."

Dana Smyke is a maintenance worker in the Cordova Ranger District. Smyke has been a volunteer with the Cordova Volunteer Fire Department for 29 years. He started as a firefighter and progressed to captain of the rescue company. Today, he serves in a safety officer role. "I initially joined the fire department to meet new people and to learn new skills," said Smyke. "Over time, I realized that in a small, isolated community such as Cordova, there was no one else to call on. We were on our own to take care of whatever came up whether it be fire, tsunami, pandemic, or medical emergency. Without community volunteers, it just wouldn't happen."

Eric Castro is a fisheries biologist in Petersburg. Most recently, Castro has been supporting local COVID-19 vaccination efforts. He said it is important to be able to give back to the community that helps support him and his family outside of work. "I am blessed as a federal employee to have maintained steady employment through the pandemic and, by actively participating in the event, I believe members of the community recognize that as a service," he said. "Plus, it gives me hope seeing people of all ages, colors and creeds get their shot with smiles on their faces."

Michele Parker is a Tongass-based environmental engineer who has been volunteering for 10 years as the chairperson for Beat the Odds, A Race Against Cancer Committee, in Petersburg. The committee's mission is to raise funds that assist people affected by cancer in the local and regional areas. "I volunteer to give back as my own life has been touched by cancer," Parker shared. "I am a 10-year colon cancer survivor who wants to bring awareness to cancer prevention measures, provide accessible information and support to patients and loved ones during their cancer journey, and share knowledge that empowers others to become active partners in their health care, make their journey less stressful and increase their hope during a challenging life transition."

National Volunteer Week is April 18-24. It was established by presidential proclamation in 1974 to highlight various volunteer opportunities.