WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The 445th Airlift Wing’s Rising 6 held its second volunteer event of Fiscal Year 2024 at the Bridges of Hope homeless shelter in Xenia, Ohio.
The 16 volunteers included members of the Rising 6 council, military members, civilians and family members from the wing.
Bridges of Hope is a temporary overnight shelter for Xenia and Greene County adults in need that provides daytime respite and meals. It also connects guests with services like housing, job training, recovery and counseling. It helps those in need of healing, and gets them reconnected with the community and back to being the best versions of themselves.
“We brought approximately $1,250 in donations of clothes, bedding, food and hygiene items,” said Senior Airman Stephanie Gillispie, Rising 6 volunteer committee chair and community outreach and coordinator. “We were able to make a significant improvement to organizing their hopes closet by sorting, folding, and putting away clothes, which will enable the shelter residents’ easier access to much needed items.”
Gillispie said while they were there, they sat down with residents and spent time visiting with them over coffee and donuts provided by the Rising 6 council.
The Rising 6’s third community outreach event will be held at an assisted living facility the Sunday of the June unit training assembly. The plan is for the volunteers to take coffee and donuts to the assisted living facility and possibly do an activity with residents.
“These volunteer events are not just for the Rising 6,” said Gillispie, who is also a 445th Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight non-destructive inspector. “We would love to have more participation from the Top 3 and officers. We are always looking for more ideas to implement throughout the year as well,” said Gillispie.