Keesler honors top volunteers Published April 30, 2009 By Airman 1st Class David Salanitri 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISS. -- Keesler presented awards to the base's top volunteers April 23 at the annual volunteer recognition ceremony at the Keesler Youth Center. Yvonne Dougherty, retiree activities office, is Keesler's Volunteer of the Year. A retired lieutenant colonel, she's been working in the retiree office bi-weekly for the past 25 years. Her duties and accomplishments include training new volunteers on how to disseminate information to retiree customers, developing a quick reference roller index system for office volunteers 25 years ago that's still used today and providing information to the committee chairmen on the needs of impaneled patients. Winona Moreno and Sandra Brzovic received the Volunteer Excellence Award. Mrs. Moreno, wife of Airman 1st Class Larry Moreno, 81st Force Support Squadron, was a key player in Operation Hero, working with two separate events for a total of 40 hours setting up deployment lines, making all identification cards and setting up and tearing down the area while supervising 42 other volunteers. She also organized a wellness night for deployed spouses, adopted two Airmen for Thanksgiving dinner, and participated in Make a Difference Day, Hearts from Home and family night at the youth center. Sandra Brzovic, 81st FSS, volunteering for Special Olympics, collected 2,371 holiday food items and donations for Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen in Biloxi and assisted with the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program to collect packages for needy families during the holidays. Staff Sgt. Joshua Baker and Senior Airman Kwadwo Agyen-Frempong are Keesler's nominees for the National Military Family Association's Very Important Patriot award. Sergeant Baker, 338th Training Squadron, delivered meals to 25 senior citizens for the Meals on Wheels program and conducted obedience training for four dogs at the Humane Society. As an member of the Book-It reading program, he tutored 20 hours of reading and writing skills for third and fourth grade students. While deployed to Sather Air Base, Iraq, Sergeant Baker was an active member of the Air Force Patriot Detail Team, providing military honors to fallen service members, and led morale boosting events such as bingo, dance and movie nights.