Marines and future Marines from Recruiting Sub-Station Burbank, Recruiting Station Los Angeles, were invited to join the Justin and Kourtney Turner Food Bank at the Dream Center Foundation in Los Angeles to lend a helping hand to their local community.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Los Angeles County has seen an increase in more confirmed cases than the surrounding counties. Joined by other volunteer organizations, the RSS Burbank Marines sorted and separated food into 200 boxes which can feed up to 800 people.
According to future Marine Joshua Suarez, small acts of kindness go a long way in these particularly challenging times.
“With everything that’s been going on, I believe you can do a lot with just simple acts and helping out someone,” said Suarez. “We often ask ourselves what can I do or how can I help out and this is a way I can.”
The future Marines of RSS Burbank are from the surrounding cities, so this project is personal to them because it directly impacts their immediate community.
“This one was actually kind of personal to me because the Dream Center is in Echo Park and my whole Mom’s side of the family is from there,” said future Marine Rafael Munguia, a recent graduate of John Burroughs High School. “I know a lot of people from Echo Park and it meant a lot to me personally to know that we were doing something directly to help out that community.”
Being a Marine is about more than just wearing a uniform, it’s about giving back to the community. Volunteering prior to active-duty service really allows these young men and women to see what it is like to be a part of a cause bigger than themselves. It helps them focus on the greater good of their communities.
According to Munguia, RSS Burbank has done a handful of volunteer events since he has been a part of the Delayed Entry Program.
The DEP provides young men and women with the opportunity to enlist in the Marines, even though they might not go to recruit training for up to a year. The DEP has weekly meetings with their recruiters to ensure they are continuously making strides to prepare for recruit training.
Recruiting Station Los Angeles’ area of responsibility includes more than 15 Recruiting Sub-Stations spread throughout 22,000 square miles of Southern California.
The RSS Burbank office continually volunteers at events around their RSS and surrounding schools. The team plans on returning monthly to the Dream Center Foundation to provide any support needed.
