Volunteer experience spotlight: Nan Huynh

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. What better time to spotlight our HVAF volunteers as well as employees and volunteers as they share, in their own words, their unique volunteer experiences in the community. All month long, we'll be sharing their stories on the HVAF blog.

Meet Nan Huynh - HVAF Case Manager


I met Adam and Erin through their own volunteer efforts at HVAF's Jackson House in 2012. The two prepared a home cooked meal to six veterans. Adam and Erin not only sat and ate with the veterans but also shared stories. Erin shared that she had previously gone underwent dialysis. The senior resident (veteran) had just recently learned that his kidneys are failing to the point of no return. He will also have to undergo dialysis and that scares him. After he sat and met with Erin and Adam, he felt like God had brought them to give him hope. To this day, the veterans recall their time spent with Adam and Erin. It was the simple act of sharing a meal that was extremely meaningful for the veterans. As a result, it was a really touching experience for me.

Volunteer experience spotlight: Sgt. Tanner J. Archibald (Ret.)

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. What better time to spotlight our HVAF volunteers as well as employees and volunteers as they share, in their own words, their unique volunteer experiences in the community. All month long, we'll be sharing their stories on the HVAF blog.

Meet Sgt. Tanner J. Archibald USA (Ret.), HVAF volunteer

On March 2, 2012, Southern Indiana was hit with devastating tornadoes that uprooted communities across multiple counties. I volunteered my time in Sellersburg, Ind., through FEMA's “OneStop” disaster assistance program at Ivy Tech. One-Stop was a temporary location created to address the individual needs of the survivors. When someone would call seeking relief, we helped direct them to critical resources, including locating shelter and clothing. It was jaw-dropping to see what happened to the towns in a matter of minutes. Even worse, it was horrifying to see the chaos that ensued while trying to put the pieces of their lives back together. Our team worked in coordination with Red Cross, Habit for Humanity and other groups from around the country, including AmeriCorps as well as local fire and law enforcement. The disaster relief groups put in great effort to help the people affected by the tornadoes. My help was only a small part of the entire effort. During my volunteer experience, I saw communities join together and lend a helping hand to complete strangers to help rebuild homes and lives.

Volunteer experience spotlight: Grambi Dora

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. What better time to spotlight our HVAF volunteers as well as employees and volunteers as they share, in their own words, their unique volunteer experiences in the community. All month long, we'll be sharing their stories on the HVAF blog.

Meet Grambi Dora, HVAF volunteer

Out of my duffel bag of volunteer experiences, a few that I am fond of were during my fifteen month deployment to Iraq. I moved like a vagabond from mission to mission, but some of the most memorable events took me beyond what was asked of me by my supervisors and battle buddies. I volunteered for the pure sake of wanting to help others in need. I taught foreign contractors how to multiply and how to read. I wanted to help educate them so that they could become more knowledgeable of the world around them. I put together and distributed care packages for Iraq military soldiers and civilians with hygiene products like tooth brushes, tooth paste, and hand sanitizer. Shortly after my tan boots hit ground in Iraq, my main objective besides keeping my weapons clean, and the battle buddy to my left and to my right safe, was to find a guitar. I found a figure eight shaped wooden guitar at Camp Taji, 12 miles North of Baghdad. After reaching this goal I began to play the guitar in the midst of incoming Rk-47 rounds and RPG's roaring off like thunder. The sounds that brought a trained gunner like myself, praying to my knees. My mind floundered the poetic word from time to time, and sometimes when I felt the most vulnerable, I shared my soul through the spoken word with fellow comrades. We would sit around burn pits in an attempt to escape the war that we breathed in and out like fumes of a Holocaust.

Volunteer experience spotight: Doneeka Harris

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. What better time to spotlight our HVAF employees and volunteers as they share, in their own words, their unique volunteer experiences in the community. All month long, we'll be sharing their stories on the HVAF blog.


Meet Doneeka Harris, HVAF's Social Worker

The one good deed that touched my heart was when I worked as a volunteer in 2009 at Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound (CASA). CASA is a non-profit agency affiliated with United Way in Huntsville, Alabama. They provide services to individuals age 60 and older and to those who are home-bound (wheelchair and bed bound) of all ages. Their goal and mission is to help the aging and home-bound individuals remain at home and in a comfortable environment, to maintain their independence, dignity, health, and safety by providing services that specifically address their needs. Their work includes providing them with shower chairs, walkers, building ramps, canes and shower heads.

 As a volunteer, I helped place orders. I was also studying to be a Social Worker and had the opportunity to work with a Case Worker to see how she did her job. Together, we made sure clients had everything they needed to make them feel comfortable and safe while they spent their last moments with their families and friends. While volunteering, I helped over 100 individuals and that made me feel good and very thankful to have had that opportunity to be able to help.

Volunteer experience spotight: Bryan Dysert

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. What better time to spotlight our HVAF employees as they share, in their own words, their unique volunteer experiences in the community. All month long, we'll be sharing their stories on the HVAF blog.

Meet: Bryan Dysert. He's HVAF's Director of Programs and Services.

In 2006, I volunteered with the Special Olympics and served as a coach on a basketball team for kids around the age of 10. It was so much fun! We held practice two times a week and I would coach the kids through basic basketball drills. It gave me a chance to spend time with boys and help them through more than basketball skills. I was able to talk with them, mentor when needed, and just be a constant, positive force in their lives. As the season progressed, I was able to be more involved with the kids and their families. Most of the interaction was centered on basketball, but sometimes I was able to help with school, too. I also got to know their families through basketball games and practices. We ended up winning the State Championship one year! Even more, the kids made an impact on me and I could tell that I also had made an impact on them. The kids all got together and made a photo collage of our time together throughout the season of the championship win and gave it to me. It was extremely thoughtful and I often wonder what they are up to now.