Patty Baumiller has been nominated for USO-Metro's volunteer of the quarter for winter 2013.
"Patty has this joyful, welcoming demeanor and a warmness about her that just makes you want to talk with her," Beth Messerli, troop and family program specialist, explains, "Her gentleness quickly soothes those with questions or concerns." A quality that endeared her to the staff and all those she assisted during the holiday season.
The holiday season is often a challenging time for junior-enlisted service members and their families as they try to make the holidays special on a low income. It is also the most challenging time of year for the USO-Metro programs department due to the massive scale of programs offered in addition to ongoing support. Amid this sometimes chaotic environment, Patty was empathetic and heartfelt-she treated each service member with respect and concern for their well-being.
Starting in October, Patty came to the rescue as the first volunteer to take on the role of supporting holiday program management. She was invaluable in distributing information to service members, volunteers and the public about the many holiday events and programs offered to troops and their families stationed in the Washington-Baltimore region. Because of the number and magnitude of the programs offered and the different enrollment steps for each, registration can be confusing to first-time program recipients. Patty warmly and patiently answered service members' questions and walked them through the steps to register for the programs.
Patty volunteered with Programs and Services Department three times a week in addition to maintaining a regular shift at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir. She poured over sheet after sheet of data, organizing and filtering the information so we could assist as many service members as possible.
She goes above and beyond to make sure she upholds USO-Metro's long tradition of superior service. During Turkeys for Troops distribution day, Patty stayed hours after her shift, answering the "Holiday Hotline" and making sure every question was answered.
As part of the Holiday Hotel program, Patty contacted more than 120 hotels in the region to talk with their general manager or sales team. This program is made possible by hotel stay donations, and Patty brought on several new partnerships that enhanced the program greatly. She understood the difference Holiday Hotel makes in the lives of service members separated from their families and support systems, and her enthusiasm led many hotels to join this effort.
Her personality, warmth, eagerness to learn, courage to try new things, and spunk make her an absolute delight to work with. Patty deserves to be recognized because she stepped up at our most crucial time, sometimes performing not-so-glamorous (but extremely important and necessary) jobs, always with a smile on her face. "We were always glad to see her walk through our door," said Messerli, "and when she was finished with one project, she'd enthusiastically ask, ‘What's next?!'"
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