Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46South Florida: Our Core Values Encourage More Success By YM/LCpl Abygail Gonzalez South Florida (FL) The school year has ended; summer will be filled with exciting new adventures: Junior Leader- ship School and the Division Encampment in Georgia.But what I have learned in three years as a Young Marine empowered me to honor the commitment I made,as a volunteer in the Friendship Circle. The Friendship Circle is an organization that provides social and recreational activities for Children with Special Needs and the volunteers are paired off with a Special Friend. The day I signed on as a volunteer I was asked if I could make a commitment to attend every other Sunday,since my Special Friend would be waiting for me.I had done community service through the Young Marines,Toys for Tots and Operation Christmas Child; but this was different: Someone would be waiting for me. “I got this” I told myself,“I can do this, I want to do this” and it was the core values I have learned as a Young Marine that allowed me to fulfill my commitment through the year. Two out of 180 volunteers received the Perfect Attendance Award, and I was one. I have learned valuable lessons and by using the core values I have learned as a Young Marine I was able to fulfill my commitment and realized I received so much more than what I gave. I’m looking forward to continue volunteering with the Friendship Circle next year. Wesley Fox YM: Some Amazing People are Volunteers By YM/MSgt Lauren Loria Col. Wesley Fox (VA) Young Marines are expected to do a certain amount of community service. Helping out a non-profit agency or a teacher with sorting papers are some of the ways to do so, but for some Young Marines this is not enough and they want to do more than the required amount. When I was asked to write about a volunteer in my area, I thought about some of the people I know, and who was the most deserving of the spotlight. I met YM/SSgt Jerome Lechasseur at a divisional encampment. Lechasseur is a vol- unteer firefighter for the Kingsville Fire Co. (KVFC). He got involved when his dad, also a volunteer firefighter, took him to the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Co. when he was 14. They were starting a new cadet program, which he promptly joined. Originally, Jerome wanted to experience the thrill of the lights and sirens while speeding down the road, but as he trained and learned the job he realized it was so much more than that. That’s why he transferred to EMS training. Jerome doesn’t plan to become a professional firefighter. Instead, he is planning to pursue a career in the medical field while he continues to volunteer. After the completion of high school and graduation from the Young Marines, Jerome hopes to join the Navy and become a Corpsman so he can continue to help those in need. Finding outstanding and interesting volunteers in your community is not hard at all. Sometimes, the people you are close to could be doing something amazing with their lives. By YM/Pvt Jesse Borden Fall River (MA) For a community service project, I and YM/Pvt Emily Car- reiro presented our Unit Commander, Executive Officer, Ad- juant, and Instructors (who are Police Officers), with Sur- vival Kits to show our appreciation for Law Enforcement. We picked out candy that corresponded to what police officers go through on a daily basis and came up with de- scriptions that we knew would make the officers smile. For example, we gave them Lifesavers candy because of the many times they save lives while doing their jobs. In addi- tion to making these goody bags for our staff,we also made 250 bags for two community Police Departments: Berkley (MA) and Fall River (MA). We delivered these bags during the National Law Enforcement Appreciation Week which was May 15-21, 2016. We were happy to see many Police Officers appreciation for what we did. We can’t say thank you enough to all of those who put their lives on the line to protect us. Fall River: Appreciating Our Law Enforcement Officers Fall River Young Marines: Taking time to thank law enforcement. 22 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE