by Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
PORTLAND, MAINE - A 2006 graduate of Planfield High School and Planfield, Indiana native, volunteers in the Portland, Maine community to help those in need.
U.S. Navy Reserve Petty Officer 2nd Class Koren Foster, is an electronics technician serving with Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Indianapolis. She is responsible for maintaining and operating communication systems to include both mobile and standard receiver systems.
"It is important to give back to the communities that support the Navy and the families of my fellow Sailors," said Foster. "There a lot of people affected by the work we do."
Foster volunteered at both the Preble Resource Center and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland during Portland Navy Week, a program intended to increase Navy awareness by presenting the Navy to Americans who live in cities that normally do not have a significant naval presence.
The Preble Street Resource Center is the hub of services for hundreds of homeless people in Portland—meeting urgent needs at an on-site clothing closet, soup kitchen, and food pantry; coordinating hours with the City of Portland Men’s Shelter, and providing direct access to casework services.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland is committed to the development and uplifting of families and communities. In three decades, they have built 68 homes, served more than two hundred people with stable, affordable housing, engaged hundreds of business and civic partners, and enlisted the support of thousands of volunteers.
Foster has carried lessons learned from her hometown into to her military service.
"I volunteered in the
community for my hometown such as working for a local library to benefits
children's programs," she said. "Additionally, I
volunteered for the Girls Scouts and animal shelters, and I took these experiences into the military with me. Now, I continue to volunteer, which I am proud
of."
Navy Operational Support Center
(NOSC) Indianapolis is responsible for the readiness of more than 600 Selected
Reserve Sailors who make up 30 diverse units, which provide operational
capabilities to their supported (active-duty) commands fleetwide.
“Sailors look for and enjoy volunteer opportunities,” said Cmdr. Kathleen Allen, officer in charge of Navy Reserve (NR) Navy Recruiting District (NRD) Minneapolis. “Petty Officer Foster is a great example of the high performance and dedication we share by volunteering in the local communities. Our Sailors make a difference every day.” NR NRD Minneapolis supported NRD New England in community relations events during Portland Navy Week.
Foster
has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored
to carry on the family tradition.
"My father and oldest sister both served in the Army," said Foster. "My youngest sister served in the Navy and both brother-in-laws in the Marine Corps."
Foster's proudest accomplishment was being one of the top sailors in her class attending "A" school, an advanced technical course where sailors learn their job. This provided her opportunities to continue to excel in the Navy.
"After graduating "A" school, I had the opportunity to be attached to a Seabee Unit which made me a better Sailor and person that helped me advance in rank to Petty Officer 2nd Class," she added.
The morals and values instilled from serving in the Navy, has molded her into a leader and continue to develop essential traits needed for success both professionally and personally.
“It teaches you lessons that you will never learn in civilian life, and you get
to have another family that is there for you, whether you are active or not," said Foster.