JROTC donates time while serving a community

By Kristin Hopkins

During the holiday season, many students are consumed with shopping, decorating and celebrating. But the Flathead JROTC program has been busy with other kinds of projects, ranging from helping shoppers to assisting a stroke victim.

On one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the Friday after Thanksgiving, JROTC students were busy helping customers at Wal-Mart take packages to their cars.

ìIt was fun,î said junior Becky Butler. ìIt always feels good to help people.î

The day after helping at the store, six JROTC students helped Kalispell resident Rich Guyman, who had just suffered from a stroke, move into a new apartment after being in the hospital. JROTC was contacted to help by the hospitalís administrator.

ìI donít think they would have been able to move without us,î said junior Shawn Stotts. ì(Helping with the move) gave a good name to the JROTC program, and improved the program in the eyes of the community.î

Then, last weekend, JROTC helped with ìDinner at Our Houseî at the National Guard Armory, an event intended to gather community members together. Attendance at the event exceeded 1,300 community members.

ìThere were a lot of people who looked like they really needed a dinner,î said senior Andrew Tressel. ìIt made me feel good to see all the smiling faces I got to help.î

JROTC has a long history of volunteerism, including serving food to people in need at the community kitchen and helping with the volunteer event Christmas in April.

ìWhen we did Christmas in April, we helped improve a familyís home. We put on a roof for a lady who couldnít afford it,î said junior Jack Denton. ìIt makes you feel proud to know youíve helped out a little.î

JROTC finds out about projects when community members come to them for help.

ìA lot of people find out about us from word-of-mouth, then ask if we can help out,î said Denton.

Students say they, as well as the community, are reaping valuable rewards from the program.

ìJROTC prepares you for standard procedure at boot camp,î said senior Matthew Fairbank, who is planning on a career in the Air Force. ìWe learn drills and procedures and map-reading skills.î

JROTC students say the JROTC program helps them find ways to help out.

ìIt makes me feel good to help the community,î said Butler, adding:

ìI would have never really thought to do it if I hadnít joined JROTC.î