San Diego, California, April 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- “If Lincoln Military Housing has a face, that face has a welcoming smile. That smile is quickly followed by a warm handshake and a beckoning to come with us and take that next step among new friends on your life’s journey. And yes, the heartbeat of the Lincoln Team can be felt in our volunteers. It is real. Experience it. Thank you for your service.” - Sam Merrick, Vice President of Military Affairs, US Navy Veteran.
Volunteerism is defined as the principle of donating time and energy for the benefit of other people in the community as a social responsibility. For team members who work at Lincoln Military Housing in San Diego, taking care of our military community is embedded in our culture. Each team member feels a sense of responsibility not only in our daily work supporting our military families but also through our events and programs where many employees donate their personal time to go above and beyond for these families.
The Community Services Team is a dedicated group of event professionals whose passion and commitment for our military families drives them to create and host approximately 500 events and programs each year. The team would not be successful without the support of the 320 Lincoln Military Housing employees in San Diego. These team members in 2018, worked 285 events hosted onsite for our military families to connect with other families and build friendships, have fun as a family, enjoy a free experience, and get to know the Lincoln team members. In 2018, 97 Lincoln Military Housing team members volunteered a total of 714.24 hours of their personal time at Lincoln’s regional events. Regional events occur on nights, weekends, and holidays and include our annual Mother’s Day Event, Cause We Can 5K, annual Halloween Bash, tours of San Diego with the San Diego Trolley, Marriage Seminars, Dinner and a Class series with a financial education focus, holiday events, and so many more. Team members also support homecomings and special events in San Diego like marching in the San Diego Veterans Day Parade! Recently, the top 15 volunteers were recognized at Lincoln’s annual Volunteer and Vendor Luncheon.
Lincoln’s outstanding Top 15 volunteers include:
Heidi Smith is a District Manager at the Chesterton District and has been with Lincoln for 5 years. Heidi has been a Navy military spouse for 18 years and grew up a military child while her Dad served in the Navy. She has many other family members who have served in the military. She enjoys volunteering at Lincoln events because it allows her to help bring joy and a sense of community to those who serve our country. In her free time, she also volunteers at the American Cancer Society.
Brenda Lopez is a Service Coordinator & Mentor at the Bayview Hills District and has been with Lincoln for 12 years. She enjoys volunteering at Lincoln events because she feels it is a great way to push the reset button to remind us that what we do for our military families actually means something.
Alicia Bighames is a District Manager of The Village at NTC and has been with Lincoln for 15 years. Her sister served in the Air Force for 13 years. She enjoys volunteering at the events because it’s a feel-good moment to serve. She especially loves the USO Tuesday Night Dinners when Lincoln hosts and she can serve dinner to military families. “I like seeing the smiles and being up close and personal with the families.” She also volunteers in her free time with Naranon support groups.
Michael Beardslee is a District Manager of the Chollas Heights District and has been with Lincoln for 13 years. His father is a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam. He is thankful for the opportunity to volunteer at the regional events and feels it has been his calling to really give back to our military families. “I wanted to show my appreciation and gratitude for all those that serve, and to extend my support to the military families that sacrifice so much as well.”
Tes Jackson is a Service Coordinator at Pomerado District and has been with Lincoln for 11 years. She is a former Army Spouse, her son is an Army Veteran, and her daughter is active duty in the US Navy. She enjoys volunteering at the events because she sees how much the families look forward to attending the events and having an outing together as a family. “Being a veteran spouse/parent of the armed forces, we treasure the times we get to spend together as a family because you never know when the service members have to be called out for unscheduled deployments, and when they will be coming back home.”
Martha Casillas is a Customer Service Representative at the East County District and has been with Lincoln for 18 months. She has no military experience and since joining Lincoln wanted to give back to the military families. “It is in my nature to help others.” Martha also volunteers at the animal shelters, Episcopal Community Services, Chula Vista Community Chart School, and the Warrior Foundation.
John Darryl Balbin is a Porter at the Bayview District and has been with Lincoln for 17 months. His uncle is retired from the US Navy after over 20 years of service. “He is the reason I am here in the United States today! Otherwise I would still be in the Province of the Philippines planting rice on the field as a farmer.” He enjoys volunteering for Lincoln because the events are hosted in some beautiful places around San Diego and he enjoys the great weather and nice breeze. He also enjoys the great food offered at the events for the families. “It is so rewarding to volunteer when it comes to someone’s happiness and for the community.”
Frank Brehm is a Maintenance Supervisor at the Flag Management District and has been with Lincoln for over 8.5 years. He is a US Navy Veteran. “Volunteering is just fun! At first I was hesitant about volunteering, but pretty soon I began to look forward to it. People that haven’t volunteered do not realize what they are missing out on. The community services people do all the hard work and planning, all you have to do is show up and have a great time with the families who appreciate it, and they really DO appreciate it.” Some of Frank’s favorite volunteer events have been the Padres Game, Aztec Football Tailgate, the Overnight Camping Event, San Diego Trolley Tour, the SEAL Tour with the EFM families, the San Diego Symphony – Concert Under the Stars event, and more. “The happiness you see in the families, especially the kids, is very rewarding.”
Genalynn Belmudez is a District Manager at the Bayview District and has been with Lincoln for 4 years. She is a Navy Spouse whose grandfathers both served in the US Navy and whose mom was a Navy Reservist. She enjoys volunteering because it gives her an opportunity to see her residents outside of the property, having a good time connecting with other military families. “I understand that these families sacrifice a lot and it feels good to see that we can put a smile on their faces.” Genalynn also volunteers at the ASYMCA for the food distribution and their holiday events. She also volunteers at the homeless shelter serving food.
Cilene Terrell is a Leasing Coordinator at the Housing Office and has been with Lincoln for 13 years. Both her biological father and stepfather are retired military. Cilene enjoys volunteering because it allows the military families to get to know the Lincoln Staff outside of the housing area and offices. “I want the families to see we have the same goal; to enjoy life at whatever stage of life we are in!”
La Brandie Megginson is an Assistant District Manager at the Silver Strand District and has been with Lincoln for 6.5 years. She enjoys volunteering at the Lincoln Events because it brings her great joy to see the happy faces of our military families. “When I volunteer for events, I know that it brings a peace of mind to our families knowing that they can come to the events worry-free and that everything is targeted to their needs as well as allowing them to explore new ventures. I am proud to work for a company that shows appreciation for our residents in many different ways.”
Jorge Parada is a Service Technician at the Bayview District and has been with Lincoln for 15 years. He is a Retired Army Veteran and served for 20 years. “I like giving back to the community. I appreciate seeing the joy of our residents. It’s a good feeling.” Jorge is also a motivator of his teammates to get involved and volunteer. Jorge also volunteers for San Diego Beekeeping Society as a Board member, San Diego Seaside Scrolles events, Design In Wood Building and makes toys to donate each year, Emerald Hills Neighborhood Council for cleanups and picnics. He has also been a volunteer/ambassador for Lincoln’s internal Charity called Lincoln Charities for 5 years!
Johnny Martinez is a District Manager at the Flag Management District and has been with Lincoln for over 13 years. He has several family members that have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. Johnny enjoys seeing the families bond and fellowship with other families at the events. “Our military families make so many sacrifices for our country; it is an honor and privilege to be able to volunteer and give something back to them.” Johnny also volunteers at church in the music department with audio, video, and playing the drums.
Media Opportunity:
Event information is kept private for our military families. If you would like to attend an event and cover the story, please contact Cindy Farless, Community Services Director at cfarless@lpsi.com or 858-505-4136 ext. 223.
About Lincoln Military Housing
Lincoln Military Housing (LMH) was formed in 2001 through a Department of Defense (DOD) contract with parent company Lincoln Property Company. The goal has always been to increase the quality of military housing for our nation's servicemen and women. Since its inception more than a decade years ago, Lincoln Military Housing now provides more than 36,000 family homes for military members across the US. Lincoln is much more than a property management company. LMH acts as a support system for military families and offers community-building activities and 24-hour maintenance assistance programs, free, to all of their residents. Services are available for members of all branches of service - Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, United States Coast Guard, and National Guard.
For more information about LMH and our services, please visit: www.LincolnMilitary.com.
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