USOHRCV Volunteer, Amy Harris, Wins President's Volunteer Service Award

For over 77 years, the USO has been the nation’s leading organization to serve the men and women in the U.S. military, and their families, throughout their time in uniform. Our mission to connect service members to family, home, and country would not be possible with the help of our dedicated volunteers. Amy Harris, a volunteer at our USO Norfolk International Airport (ORF) center, was rightfully awarded with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Gold Level, over the holidays.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is the premier volunteer awards program, encouraging citizens to live a life of service through presidential gratitude and national recognition. It recognizes United States citizens and lawfully admitted, permanent residents of the United States who have achieved the required number of hours of service over a 12-month period. The Gold level achievement is awarded to adults with 500+ volunteer hours.

Amy Harris was no stranger to the USO of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia (USOHRCV) and our mission when she started volunteering on December 2016. She is a military spouse, whose husband retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force. Since her start, she’s dedicated over 925 hours of her time volunteering at our ORF center. She volunteers at least two shifts a week, but the center can always count on Amy to step up when another volunteer can’t make their shift. Her volunteer efforts stretch far and wide- from shopping at the Food Bank weekly to keep our service members fed, to washing the pillow cases and blankets for our nappers, to donating and decorating our Christmas tree to keep service members in the holiday spirit.

“Amy is like the ‘Energizer bunny.’ She just keeps working, never sits down!” says Len Friddle, our ORF center director.

We are so lucky to have many volunteers like Amy, who are the backbone of the USOHRCV mission. Thank you, Amy, for your time, dedication, and eagerness to lend a helping hand. You are a true Force Behind our Forces!