Seabees, Naval Hospital lend skills to Children's Home Society of Florida

The Seabees, led by UT1(SW) Bernard Risbon, EO1(SCW) Erik Pearson and BUC Shawn Fellows, brought their training and expertise to the job while the hospital volunteers contributed labor and sweat. The Home's Development Specialist Nick Geinosky said the storage unit was sorely needed and the home's staff is very appreciative of the Navy effort. "The Seabees and the hospital team are just amazing. They've really worked hard. We couldn't have done it without them," Geinosky said.

The home previously had one storage building but it was crammed with everything from personal belongings awaiting forwarding to children who had been placed in foster homes, to holiday donations for the kids and wrapping materials. The old building, he said, was not climate controlled and that made it susceptible to mildew and it was not adequately secure from theft.

The new facility has secure locks on steel doors, better insulation, fresh paint from ceiling to floor, new studs where needed and a hardy board exterior which is more resistant to termites and rot. They also chemically treated the building for insects.

CS3 Somali Brighthaupt strips nails from plywood.

The free labor significantly lowered the cost of all this according to Geinosky. The cost of materials Risbon estimated to be about $4,300 and he figured labor, if contracted, would have run at least double that. On the first day of the job, Risbon took time out from re-skinning the structure to describe how much his unit's volunteers enjoy this kind of work. He said his unit mainly does volunteer work on base but they always enjoy getting off base to help out with such worthwhile projects as this one. "It's more like fun time than work time," Risbon added. "This job should go smoothly as the building was structurally in good shape."

The volunteers also enjoyed meeting the children during a barbecue with the home's children and staff after the job was completed. SH1 Richard Garcia of Naval Hospital Jax's Operation's Management, said he really enjoys getting out to do volunteer work because he's an outgoing person. "It's a challenge to see people from different backgrounds come together to achieve a common goal," he said. "That spirit of serving others is what the naval hospital is all about, from the commanding officer and command master chief down through the ranks."

SH1(SW/AW) Richard Garcia carries debris from the construction site.

Garcia, who will soon will be shipping out for new duties in Japan aboard USS Juneau (LPD 10), walks the walk as far as volunteering. He worked at a homeless shelter in Jacksonville and volunteers at the "Clothes Closet" in Orange Park, which helps out needy people get quality clothing.

Hospital Chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Ruben Ortiz said that Pastoral Care has done several activities with the Children's Home in the past, including collecting 80 boxes of toys and other gifts for the children at Christmas and collecting 80 boxes of Valentines for the children in February. He said he's sure the hospital will do more in the future.

Volunteers CE1 Robert Mendez, HM3 Doorgesh Tadsare and HM1 Jean Andriamampianina clean nails from the building studs.

It's evident that the volunteers for this event all would concur with HMC John Frazier in why they volunteered to work at the Children's Home. "I'm just doing it to help the kids," said Frazier.

HM3 Doorgesh Tadsare, Naval Hospital Jacksonville Chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Ruben Ortiz and HMC John Frazier discuss the days work at the ChildrenÕs Home Society of Florida work site.