ACS Corner

Newcomer’s Briefing
Fort Monroe Army Community Services will host its next Newcomer’s Orientation on April 2 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the Soldier and Family Support Center.
The program includes a short overview of the services available on post and in the surrounding community. Briefings are also given by the garrison commander, post CSM, the school liaison officer, Post Chaplain, and EEO. A short tour of the installation and the Casemate Museum is also included. Spouses are welcome to attend.
For the remainder of 2008, Newcomer’s Orientations will be conducted on the first Wednesday of each month. For more information or to register for a session, call 788-4344 or 3878.

Volunteer Update
All volunteers on Fort Monroe should be registered with the Installation Volunteer Coordinator, Marie Hinton.
Please submit your volunteer-hour records for January through December 2007 to Hinton as soon as possible. The annual volunteer recognition reception is scheduled for April 9 at the Bay Breeze Community Center. This event is by invitation only; therefore, if volunteers are to be recognized, their names and hours must be submitted.
For information on how to register volunteers, contact Hinton at 788-4344 or marie.hinton@us.army.mil. Information is also available through the ACS reception desk at 788-3878.

Boots n’ Booties Class
The next Boots n’ Booties Class for expecting and new parents is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 8 at the Soldier and Family Support Center.
This program will help expectant parents prepare for a baby’s arrival. New parents also find the information helpful. Subjects to be addressed include infant growth and development, budgeting for a baby, car seat installation, childcare options, parenting skills and available resources.
Each participant will receive a free layette. This program is open to active-duty service members, family members, DA civilians, and retirees. The sign-up deadline is May 1. To register, call 788-3511 or 3878.

Appreciation Day
All military spouses assigned, attached or connected to the Fort Monroe community are invited to participate in a free event titled Simply Culinary that’s scheduled for May 21 from 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the Garrison Commander and Army Community Services, the Spouse Appreciation Day event will include a trip to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens where guests will participate in a tram ride through the park with stops at various garden areas. The group will then proceed to the Simply-Culinary Shop in Chesapeake for a cooking demonstration and hands-on food preparation tips led by an accomplished area chef.
Child care will be provided. The tour group will depart from, and return to, the Soldier and Family Support Center on Stilwell Road. For more information and sign-up, contact Marie Hinton at 788-3878 or 4344.

Spouse Celebration
A “free evening of pampering” will be open to all military spouses in the Hampton Roads area on May 20 at the Hampton Holiday Inn, Mercury Boulevard.
The celebration, titled Evening Under the Stars, will feature free massages, facials, eyebrow waxing, jewelry and craft classes, prize giveaways, home decorating tips and much more. Promoters are describing it as “a special gesture to recognize the sacrifices of military spouses.”
The event hours will be 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets will be available at the Soldier and Family Support Center here after April 14. Interested spouses can call now, however, to reserve a space. This is an adults-only event. For more information, call 788-3878.

AER Overview
Fort Monroe continues its 2008 Army Emergency Relief fundraising campaign. The slogan for this year’s program is “Soldiers Helping Fellow Soldiers,” and contributions are being collected now through May 15.
The installation’s campaign goal for 2008 is $25.000.
All employees in the community are welcome to contribute to this important non-profit program that began in 1942. AER has helped more than three million military families and single Soldiers with temporary financial difficulties. Last year, more than $77,000 was distributed locally.
Emergency assistance has been provided for food, rent, utilities, emergency transportation, vehicle repair, funeral expenses, medical/dental expenses and personal needs when pay is delayed or stolen. AER also gives undergraduate-level education scholarships, based primarily on financial need, to children of Soldiers.
For more information about AER and how to contribute to the campaign, contact Beverly Nicholson at 788-4132 or beverly.a.nicholson@us.army.mil.