For the past 16 years, our long-time volunteer and beloved friend Evelyn Allieri has dedicated every Tuesday to serving the Sailors and Marines who seek financial assistance from the NAS Whidbey Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS).

On March 1, at the annual fund kickoff breakfast, the society celebrated the retirement of Evelyn, 92, who had volunteered over 13,000 hours as a receptionist.

Tuesdays will never be the same in our office without Evelyn’s generous spirit and welcoming smile. She is a national treasure and we are grateful that she joined our family of volunteers. 

As Evelyn dedicated her time to assisting Sailors and Marines, she built a surrogate family for herself among the other NMCRS volunteers.

Originally from New York City, Evelyn moved to Oak Harbor., in 1982 with her husband, Peter, who died in 1990. Part of the reason she decided to start volunteering was to fill the void of family she felt after the loss of her husband. She told me that joining NMCRS was one of the best decisions she had ever made. I think that that speaks volumes from someone who has lived a very full 92 years.

Like Evelyn, many of our hard-working volunteers enjoy the friendships they build while helping Sailors, Marines and their families in financial crisis. Our volunteers range in age from 9 to 92. No one is too old or too young to join our team.

The society is a wonderful source of support and camaraderie for military spouses whose husbands or wives are deployed. Volunteers build friendships that last through many years and duty stations. The society also provides opportunities for volunteers to gain valuable, marketable work experience to strengthen their resume; and childcare and mileage are reimbursed.

Our volunteers don’t ask for thanks. Many of the people they help never know their name. Our volunteers serve because they want to make a difference in someone’s life, just like Evelyn did for 16 years. Our unofficial motto is that the most important thing you can give a person is your time whether in life or volunteering. 

If you meet one of our volunteers in the office or the Thrift Shop, please tell them “thank you” for their time. We are blessed to have such a wonderful volunteer team.  Our organization could not run without their generosity.

I tip my hat to all of the NMCRS Whidbey Island volunteers and staff — thank you very much for all that you do for the Sailors and Marines of NAS Whidbey Island.