Panorama May 17, 2013

PWoC hosts 'Slaves No More' Conference Beverly Jacobson, a Protestant Women of the Chapel teacher, speaks to community members who gathered for a mini-conference on human trafficking at Support Site's community center, May 10. The three-hour event brought people together to watch a documentary on human trafficking and listen to guest speakers who are involved in outreach in the Naples area. Guest speaker Sister Rita Giaretta, a nun with the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary, spoke of her experiences with refuge Casa Ruth in Caserta and a social co-operative that helps trafficked women join the work force and gain autonomy. Guest speakers Paula Gabriel and Joyce Zick, missionaries who came to Naples to serve the Il Faro' church in 2011, spoke of their experiences interacting and providing comfort items to the women. Attendees of the conference had the opportunity to visit information tables and purchase hand-crafted items made by former trafficking victims with proceeds directly benefitting victims. (Photo by MC1 Travis Simmons)

USO

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“We have a volunteer committee of 55, and I think that’s what makes it so special to me, because this really represents the work that they do,” said Pullido. USO Naples, the only center in Europe that supports a Navy base, is the USO hub for NSA Naples and supports U.S. 6th Fleet ships that come through the region. They won the award based on the results of the ‘2012 TellUSO Sound Off Survey,’ which polled more than 16,000 troops and families worldwide on the USO’s performance. She said USO Naples would not have been able to support the NSA Naples community as well as they do without the countless hours of hard work put in by their volunteers and staff, their willingness to do everything they can to support the community and the support they have received from the community. “We have a staff of seven people, four in operations and three in administration,” she said. “Our level of outreach to our community is multiplied because of the heart and effort we get from our volunteers.” Pullido said the volunteers are the heart of USO Naples’ operations. The more volunteer help they have, the more events they host and the more support they can give to the community. One goal of USO Naples is to give as much support to their community possible with the resources they have available. One of the best resources they have is their volunteers. “We want to provide opportunities for service members and their families to enjoy their time in Naples,” said Yeoman Seaman Thomas Fore, USO Naples volunteer. “Whether it’s events like ‘Taste of Home’ and bingo nights or USO tours and special trips, we are always looking for ways to improve the morale of our community.” One of the ways USO Naples reaches out to their community is through hosting monthly events for the unaccompanied Sailors living on base. It is important to the USO to be able to go out and be a positive presence in the community. “It seems like every weekend the USO has an event going on,” said Masterat-Arms Seaman Benjamin Bultema, assigned to NSA Naples. “They host some cool events like ‘Naples’ Got Talent.’ They do barbecues and cookouts. They are just always around.” Pullido said it is important to them that they get out of their chairs and out of the office. They want to be a mobile unit that is able to support the community anytime and anywhere they can. It is also important to them that people know their doors are always open. “The Naples area USO is one big happy family,” said Fore. “We are always looking to add more people.” While more than 50 members of the NSA Naples community currently volunteer their time to become a part of the USO Naples family, the community also helps support the USO in other ways. “One major reason we are able to provide the great support we have been able to provide here is because of the cooperation we receive from the leaders of the community,” said Pullido. “We meet with different leaders in the NSA Naples area on a regular basis to discuss things we can do to better support the community.” Pullido said the support her organization has received from the community has made it easier to give them the support they need. “We would not be able to do everything we do without the support we get from this community,” said Pullido. “When you are part of a community like this, everybody is a part of the USO.” Pullido said she didn’t expect to win the top award, but she was proud of the accomplishments and hard work of her staff and volunteers, and the support they have received from the community. Even if USO Naples never receives the title of best center in the world again, as long as they get the volunteer help and community support they are experiencing from their community, their community can expect USO Naples to continue to provide a positive impact on the morale of the NSA Naples community for a long time. For more information on what USO Naples is doing in the future checkout their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/usonaples.

Crime Report for May 11 - 17 From the NSA Naples Command Investigative Division and NCIS