Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Headquarters held a Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Program for military and civilian personnel Jan. 28 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Rear Adm. Jonathan A. Yuen, NAVSUP Commander, opened the program stating in order to honor Dr. King's life and legacy, "we need to learn from the past and bring it forward - do what we can to pay back a social responsibility with a commitment to serve." Rear Adm. Yuen introduced the keynote speaker, Ms. Heidi Neuhaus, Volunteer Center Director, United Way - Capital Region. Ms. Neuhaus remarked, "it's a great honor to be part of a remembrance program for Martin Luther King Jr." And that "although his life was cut way too short, I think we can all agree that despite this, he left a legacy of humanitarian service." "I believe if Dr. King were still living today, he would be pleased with how volunteerism has progressed and changed, but he would recognize we still need to do more," continued Ms. Neuhaus. "He left us with many wonderful quotes, but this is a favorite of mine, 'everybody can be great because everyone can serve'." She stated 44 percent of adults over the age of 21 volunteer each year. With significant funding cuts and staffing challenges, volunteers are making a huge difference for many non-profit agencies - 85 percent of non-profits rely on volunteers to reach their mission goals. Ms. Neuhaus left audience members with a challenge to strive to incorporate volunteer service into their lives and to "make a few more days a year, a Day On, not a Day Off." During the program, several audience members participated in a recital of the famous words from Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech. A video performance featuring the Milton Hershey school choir performing the musical selection, "Glory", was also enjoyed. Mr. Mark Bennington, Assistant Commander for Contracting, thanked Ms. Neuhaus for her service to the community, for helping to keep Dr. King's dream alive, and for reminding us Martin Luther King Jr. "Day" should be viewed as a day on and not a day off. Yuen said in a message to the NAVSUP workforce, "...please take the time to reflect on the principles that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us, 'our lives begin to end the day we become silent to things that matter'." NAVSUP provides U.S. naval forces with quality supplies and services. With headquarters in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP oversees logistics programs in the areas of supply operations, conventional ordnance, contracting, resale, fuel, transportation, and security assistance. In addition, NAVSUP is responsible for quality-of-life issues for our naval forces, including food service, postal services, Navy Exchanges, and movement of household goods.

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