Frontline Families AmeriCorps Member Serves Veterans, Local Community

Wendy Samples may have been the only Frontline Families AmeriCorps member in the entire state of Mississippi over the last year, but her friend and colleague, Heath Dearman, said she has been the perfect fit for this role.

“Wendy is definitely a go-getter and takes a lot of initiative,” said Heath. She is a full-time volunteer with the American Red Cross serving in many capacities, including Frontline Families — a national service AmeriCorps program run by Points of Light. Wendy has a heart for service and is very generous with her time, also volunteering with her local fire department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We’ve been in the service for all of our lives,” Wendy said. With longstanding ties to the military – her grandfather, father and husband all served in the Navy, and her oldest son is an Iraq War veteran – Wendy has always wanted to give back to the military community.

Wendy has seen in her own family how, “active duty and veteran involvement in their communities does lead to more fulfilling lives for all community members and military personnel.” This belief, along with her dedication to serving her community, led her to give a year of service to Frontline Families, which gives military service members, veterans and their families the opportunity to connect more deeply with their communities, using volunteerism as a tool to help them transition back to civilian life.

Read the full story on the Points of Light blog.