BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
At the end of each year Defense Logistics Agency employees at the Hart Dole Inouye Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, work together to make the holidays a little brighter for families in need.
Working with the local Salvation Army, DLA Installation Support’s Battle Creek Morale, Welfare and Recreation staff coordinate the Federal Center’s Adopt-A-Family Program. The program includes veterans that are patents at the local Veteran Affairs hospital and other families in the community.
Tiffany Schmidt, chief of Battle Creek MWR, is also the volunteer coordinator for The Adopt-a-Family Program.
“My family and I have been involved with the program for years, it is part of my family’s tradition,” Schmidt said. “Each year the generosity of the HDI employees grows.”
As with all the volunteers, DLA Logistics Information Services Director Renee Hubbard used her vacation time to join the team early to organize the packages as they came in.
DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon, DLA Disposition Services Deputy Director Army Col. Fran Taylor, and DLA Installation Management Site Director Bill Jerome slipped away from their offices after morning meetings and assisted the volunteers in organizing packages for the families.
The community outreach doesn’t happen by itself, it requires volunteers to coordinate and plan as well as those to fulfill the wish list of gifts and food.
Two of these volunteers include Connie Ehredt and Kyle Moody.
Ehredt retired from the federal center but continues her involvement in the program.
“I have been a part of Adopt-a-Family now for 27 years, I have done everything from the coordination to the delivery site to wrapping, I have done it all,” she said.
Moody is a ministry intern with the Salvation Army. He has been with the organization for almost a year but has only been in Battle Creek for three months.
“Since I have been here my co-workers and boss have told me how much of a blessing the Federal Center has been to the community, how they look forward to working with them each Christmas,” Moody said.
Moody added as he contacted families to let them know they had been adopted by the federal center some expressed emotion knowing that the federal center employees strive to bless their adopted families.
“I am really just impressed with the work they do for the community,” Moody said.
“Knowing that the Federal Center employees can come together and help make some of our neighbors holiday a little brighter is a great feeling,” Jerome said.
“I had my children help shop for some of the families we adopted…It’s the most important part of the season, to take care of others and help where you can. This is a great program.”