Tucson VA honors youth volunteers at recognition ceremony
The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) honored its Summer Students Volunteering for Veterans program (SERVE) youth volunteers at a ceremony on Wednesday, July 23 celebrating the compassion and commitment of southern Arizona teens who spent their summer giving back to local Veterans.
Monica Oxford, Chief of the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE), opened the ceremony by welcoming families, friends, and hospital staff. She praised the students as “all-stars” for their dedication and enthusiasm.
“For 97 years, SAVAHCS has been providing top-quality care to our Veterans, their families, and caregivers. We could not do it without our volunteers,” said Oxford.
She also thanked the SAVAHCS Executive Leadership Team, supervisors, regular volunteers, and families who supported the Youth SERVE program.
Oxford gave special recognition to Cathi Starr, CDCE Volunteer Service Specialist whose leadership and creativity enriched the summer experience with new learning opportunities for the youth volunteers.
Mandeep, one of the youth volunteers, shared his experience, “I've been doing this for two years now, and I've racked up around 150 hours. And I really like volunteering with the Veterans and giving back to the community. I feel like it's just my duty to help and serve the people who served our country. And it's just overall a very rewarding experience for us. I just feel very fulfilled and that I got to spend my summer doing something worthwhile.”
Over the course of the summer, students in the Youth SERVE program donated a combined total of 2,106.75 hours across multiple departments. Their work included assisting with patient transport, supporting supply chain logistics, collecting data for nutrition services, and providing administrative help in the CDCE and Chaplain offices.
Altogether, their service equated to an estimated $73,293 in value. A figure Oxford noted with pride and gratitude.
Notable students included Alexis Appel (97 hours), Ana Martinez (232 hours), and John Samii, who contributed 122.75 hours this summer alone, bringing his three-year total to 387.5 hours.
Emily, another dedicated volunteer, said, “I've been volunteering here since the summer of 2020, so this year and last year. I really got a meaningful experience out of it. I've gotten great interpersonal skills while also learning how to maintain myself around other people. It's nice to get this experience while also being exposed to the medical field.”
The event concluded with an awards presentation led by CDCE Assistant Chief Sabrina Lugo. Each volunteer received a certificate and a symbolic check representing the value of their donated hours.
“Thank you once again to our students, and congratulations on your awards,” Oxford said. “On behalf of management, our employees, and our Veterans, we are grateful for your dedicated service.”
If you have a teenager who would like to get involved next summer, reach out to the CDCE office at TucsonCDCE@va.gov to learn more about the Youth SERVE program.