No price tag on caring

Owen has volunteered at the hospital for eight years and provides administrative support. She serves as the hospital's ARC Co-Chairperson.

A retired paralegal, Owen, 71, feels very honored to serve the military community. She said, "I have been a military brat since I was 4. After spending my life in the service, I'm giving back. You do what you feel inside."

Owen has volunteered at the hospital since July 1999, but her service started much earlier when she was a college student. She first became an ARC volunteer in the 1960s at the Army hospital located on Camp Zama near Atsugi, Japan, where her father, a colonel, was assigned.

The hospital ARC Chairperson Helen Donahoe, who nominated Owen for the award, said, "I know what she does! Anne is a great organizer. She was instrumental in getting our Junior Volunteer Program kicked off this year."

Donahoe described the volunteers as a close-knit family. "We are lifelong friends and we all feel the same way," she said.

N.E. Fla. Chapter ARC Director for Military Service Elizabeth Brown described the difficulty of the award selection. She said, "We chose from a field of more than 100 candidates located in Jacksonville, Mayport and Kings Bay, Ga. We had about four (candidates) that came down to the bottom line. We have volunteers on each base who provide support to the military."

ARC Volunteer Manager Judy Pisano expressed her pride with the volunteer program at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, which is a model frequently replicated.

"Every single one of the bases wants to pattern after their program," she said. Pisano estimates every hour volunteered equals about $19 per hour, a substantial savings to any organization.

Owens was not present for the official ceremony held on June 17 at the N.E. Florida

Chapter ARC Jacksonville headquarters. The award was subsequently presented by Naval Hospital Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Raquel Bono at the hospital.

Bono said, "Volunteers are one of the most selfless groups. This is the part that is priceless. They care and that just comes with people. You can't write that in a contract or buy that off the street. That is a winning combination and I would not be able to do what we do without the volunteers."

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at NHJ, contact the hospital's ARC Office at 542-7525.