DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Dover Air Force Base is in collaboration with Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity to provide job shadowing opportunities for Team Dover Airmen and civilian employees.
The partnership allows individuals to shadow a variety of positions at CDHFH including marketing, management and development.
Tim Bailey, CDHFH executive director and 436th Contracting Squadron honorary commander, believes the contrast between military and nonprofit work provides Airmen a unique perspective.
“The military is very fixed, structured and predictable for the most part, whereas nonprofit is completely unpredictable,” said Bailey. “It's a different lifestyle, different culture altogether. I thought it would be a great opportunity for some of the military folks to come over here and experience that.”
The contrasting work environment stands to offer many valuable lessons and experiences to Airmen.
One such example is Senior Airman Kelton Sands, 436th CONS contracting administrator. Sands shadowed the director of the CDHFH ReStore, a home improvement store and donation center, and believes the program had a positive impact on him.
“The compassion and leadership skills [the CDHFH team] uses, such as their ability to make decisions that affect a greater number than themselves and reach out to those in need and work alongside them, I intend to carry with me throughout my career,” said Sands.
Programs like these also promote transparency between the community and the base.
“Sometimes, [it feels as though] there's this invisible wall [between] the civilian population and the Air Force population,” said Tim Bailey. “Often it stays there like that…until you intentionally create opportunities for there to be overlap.”
The job shadowing opportunity was created through collaboration with Dover AFB’s Honorary Commander program, which encourages an exchange of ideas, experiences and friendships between key leaders of the Dover community and Dover AFB.
Angela Nartowicz, 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs chief of community engagement, believes the Honorary Commander program and related opportunities offer more than just a leadership and network exchange.
“Collaborative programs like the Honorary Commander Program and community engagement civic outreach are vital to…creating advocacy and awareness which then lead to opportunities for true partnership,” said Nartowicz. “We are nothing without the support and love from our surrounding communities.”
For more information about the job shadow opportunity with Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity, contact Tim Bailey at (302) 526-2366 ext.102 or tbailey@centraldelawarehabitat.org.