Being a good leader often means being a good servant, and the DOC leadership team proved just that.
In the midst of a three-day leadership summit at the DOC Training Academy, DOC leaders spread out in the local community and served.
Superintendents, executive staff and Sec. John Wetzel and his deputies all rolled up their sleeves to serve in Harrisburg, York and Hershey. They split up and focused on four projects:
- Planting 51 trees at Harrisburg city parks, including 17 at Italian Lake
- Winterizing Harrisburg's Allison Hill neighborhood, including removing trash, leaves and other litter
- Stocking food and providing meals for children at Cocoa Packs in Hershey
- Delivering donations, cleaning the facilities and preparing food at Mr. Sandy's Veteran's Helping Hands Center in York and Robert M. Jackson Veteran Center in Harrisburg
For the veterans centers, the plan was originally to support the York facility. Wernersville Community Corrections Center, York CCC, Pennsylvania Correctional Industries, DOC Central Office and the Riverfront Office Complex gathered and donated items to Veteran's Helping Hand, a non-profit founded by Vietnam veteran Sandy Walker. Walker created the center to provide emergency shelter, food, clothing and transportation to homeless and Veterans in need within York County.
Throughout October, the DOC facilities collected hats, gloves, scarves, non-perishable foods, toiletries and more for the center. They packed suitcases full of donations for the home and its patrons.
When all the items were gathered, it was apparent there was enough to support two facilities, so the decision was made to also support the Robert M. Jackson Veteran Center in Harrisburg. DOC leaders spent time at both facilities organizing the donations, cleaning the facilities and preparing food for Veteran residents.
Enjoy a sample of photos, and be on the lookout for more posted to the DOC Facebook page in the near future!