Purpose Through Service

During my time in basic training, the organization, Sparrow Songs brought my fellow service members and me hope every Sunday at chapel through their ministry of music. For seven Sundays, they sang songs that encouraged, strengthened, and renewed our hope for that moment and the future. Months after I graduated, I felt led to inquire about volunteering with them on Sundays at the chapel services. I wanted to spread the same hope and love from the stage that I received when I was a trainee. The organization’s founder reached out to me and allowed me to volunteer.

For almost two years, with more than 300 volunteer hours, I was able to spread hope to more than 140,000 trainees. I discovered a sense of purpose through service.

Basic training and my first assignment in San Antonio, Texas, only separated my daughter and me by a two-hour plane flight. Thankfully, at the time, I was able to afford airfare to see her at least twice a year for two weeks each trip before I received orders to Honolulu, Hawaii. After moving to Hawaii in 2025, the cost of airfare skyrocketed because of my location. I wasn’t sure how I would afford flight tickets back home to Alabama to visit my daughter and family. One day, my supervisor shared information about an organization called Miles for Military that provides free flights to junior service members who have volunteered at least 25 hours. After discovering their mission and purpose, I thought to myself, this is too good to be true. So, I inquired further and discovered that everything that was advertised was true. They wanted to keep service members and their families connected no matter where they are stationed in the world. This meant everything to me! Who knew that there were people who actually cared about me and my family being together?