Sailors from Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes are joining together to volunteer for Providing Advocacy, Dignity and Shelter Crisis Services (PADS) who assist the homeless in Lake County.

For multiple years TSC Sailors have been assisting during the harsh weather months between October and April.

"Last year 534 sailors volunteered in various shelters accumulating 6288 volunteer hours," said Navy Military Training Instructor Machinists Mate 2nd Class Christopher Jimenez, TSC staff member. "This season started in October and so far 78 volunteers have volunteered an amazing 936 hours. We are looking forward to doing as much as we can to assist this very important organization."

TSC Sailors volunteer every day of the week. Students that are awaiting transfer or awaiting instruction volunteer during week nights due to not having school. Students that are going through "A" School volunteer during the weekends to prevent affecting their training.

"Sailors who volunteer do many tasks," Jimenez said. "We wipe down tables, prepare and serve food, prepare beds, play games and read to children, and we simply lend a listening ear. Our top priority is to provide a warm caring environment."

Jimenez volunteers for PADS to help in the community in which he is stationed.

"I volunteer because I think it is very important to help others," he said. "It also strengthens the relation between the Navy and the community. It's satisfying knowing we're making a positive difference in our community."

The work that TSC Sailors do for the PADS program is extremely appreciated.

"The sailors who volunteer at the PADS Lake County shelter sites are amazing," said Sandy Stephens, director of shelters for PADS. "They do an outstanding job of assisting the regular site volunteers and guests throughout the time they're at a site. Their presence in the evenings helps the civilian volunteers with routine tasks so that both sailors and civilians have time to interact with guests who sometimes need a listening ear or just someone to accept them and treat them with respect and dignity."

Stephens says that as Sailors play cribbage, cards, chess, or other games with guests at the facility and at family sites they allow parents time to relax and have a short respite from the 24-hour care of their small children and they help older children with homework.

"During the night shifts at all sites, they ensure proper monitoring of the guests during the hours when it can be extremely difficult to schedule the number of civilian volunteers we'd like to have," she said. "The Navy volunteers have been described by our morning cleanup volunteers as being 'God-sent' because they are such a huge help in cleaning the site and preparing the areas used for PADS to be ready for the regular church activities that follow the shelter's closing for the day."

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For more news from Training Support Center, Great Lakes, visit www.navy.mil/.