Yokota Air Base, Japan --
Wide eyed with surprise, the children ran their fingers
across the newly painted blue, yellow and orange halls of Yokota’s West Elementary
School.
Volunteers repainted parts of the school to help take some
of the extra duties off of teachers, and brighten the students learning
environment to boost creativity.
The volunteers included members of the 374th Logistics
Reediness Squadron’s Petroleum Oil Lubricants flight and the 374th Contracting
Squadron.
“The volunteers were such a big help and did so much for the
school and the kids,” said Michelle Rhoden, West Elementary School
administration secretary. “It’s wonderful to have them help the school.”
Many of the volunteers from the 374 LRS POL flight also
helped during the National Read Across America Day events and act as crossing
guards before and after school every day.
While volunteering at the school events is important, for
some it means more to show their support.
“My daughter goes to
school here,” said Staff Sgt. Cordero Sanderson, 374 LRS POL flight NCO in
charge of the fuels service center. “I feel it’s important for her to see her
father involved in her school.”
Sanderson regularly acts as the crossing guard at the school
and ensures there is always someone to do crossing guard duty when he can’t.
This is to take some of the extra duties off of the teachers and ensure that
the kids are safe.
Along with crossing guard duty, Sanderson also gathers volunteers
for other school events throughout the year. He has helped get volunteers to
read and run activity booths for the kids during National Read Across America
Day events and the upcoming Kids Carnival scheduled to take place in May.
From painters to crossing guards, the volunteers at Yokota
are helping to brighten the lives of students at West Elementary School.