UTR Volunteer Highlight: Jaime Lynn Park

April 16, 2015

Jaime Lynn Park recently began volunteering with United Through Reading at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and US Naval Base San Diego. Jaime Lynn currently lives in Oceanside, CA but hails from Vancouver, Washington. She wanted to be involved with UTR because she believes there’s nothing more important than supporting the military and their families. Here’s how she puts it:

Jaime Lynn Park and UTR National Program Manager, USMC, Suzan Caughlan

I get satisfaction in knowing that my efforts are supporting an amazing cause, and I get to work with other amazing women.  Suzan Caughlan (UTR’s National Program Manager for the Marine Corps) has been an amazing mentor and friend to me during the whole process! Working with UTR and spreading the word just makes me happy.

There is no better benefit than that.I am fairly new to the program, and I’ve met the most wonderful people. From families at the USO, farmers’ markets and an event for our Navy SEALS, across the board, people would gush about their love of the program or say “Oh, wow!

This is great! I can’t wait to make these videos for my kids!” Every event is constant reassurance that this is something huge! Something that every family loves and something that can truly make a difference.

My favorite thing about being a UTR volunteer is seeing that spark in a family’s eyes when they hear about the program for the first time and how excited they are to participate, or the lifting of their hearts when they tell me about how they sent their little one a UTR recording and their family got to watch the video again and again. That they got those 30 minutes, sitting with them and just being with them, it absolutely warms my heart.

I love how much support is put towards our service members (especially during deployments) to connect them to home. I was lucky enough to receive two DVDs from my husband while he was deployed on the USS Makin Island. Their deployment didn’t allow much time in port, so the one way we could actually see Papa was through these little blessings (thanks UTR!). My daughter and I loved every second of seeing him on the screen!

We’re so humbled by the generous commitment of time and talent our volunteers provide. Thanks to you, Jaime Lynn, and to all of our volunteers.