Raeann Hempel received The President’s Volunteer Service Award last week for her work in providing comfort to military men and women overseas.
A resident of Bayonne, Hempel became involved with a group called Soldiers’ Angels about seven years ago. It’s an organization designed to provide aid and comfort to the men and women of the U.S. military and their families.
As a volunteer, Hempel sent care packages and letters to deployed service members, and the group nationally has supplied the wounded with First Response Packs directly at the Combat Support Hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan and the major military hospital in Germany, as well as provided care and comfort to those in stateside military and Veterans’ Administration facilities.
“I started when Jack Smith went to Afghanistan for the first time.” – Raeann Hempel
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“I started when Jack Smith went to Afghanistan for the first time,” Hempel said. “I went on to the web and found the organization Soldiers’ Angels. It really hit home when Jack went over.” Dr. Jack Smith enlisted in the United States Army after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. A medical doctor, he served as a doctor in a medical unit in Afghanistan. Later, he was redeployed to Iraq, where he performed similar duties.
Hempel got so involved with the effort that she eventually became the state captain for the State of New Jersey, and led the effort to send thousands of letters and care packages to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We also got involved with the veterans’ hospital in East Orange,” she said. “Every couple of months, we send out letters, and we also get Easter things for the children of the troops here in New Jersey.”
She said she was surprised when she received the letter and award in the mail last December for work she did in 2010.
The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation was established in 2003 to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in communities around the country, and encourages more people to serve.
The council created The President’s Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard – measured by the number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime.
To date, the President’s Council has partnered with more than 80 Leadership Organizations and more than 28,000 Certifying Organizations to bestow more than 1.5 million awards to the nation’s deserving volunteers.
As recognition for her service, she received a lapel pin, a certificate of achievement, and a congratulatory letter from President Barack Obama.
“I don’t know who nominated me,” Hempel said. “But I am honored.”
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.