Air Force Enlisted Village Blog

Some people bring a smile to work with them every day of the year.  Angela Guimond is one of those rare people.  James C. Binnicker. CMSAF #9, President and CEO of the Air Force Enlisted Village (AFEV) announced Angela as Employee of the Year for 2009 at the annual Board of Directors’ meeting.

“Angela Guimond is always smiling,” Binnicker began in making his announcement.  “She genuinely loves her job and her job performance shows not only to the staff and residents of the Hawthorn House but to everyone she sees.”

“I had two neighbors who took jobs at the Hawthorn House and all I heard from them was how wonderful the place was and how happy the residents are,”  Angela recalls.  “They told me that I had to go apply for a Resident Assistant position.  I did, I took the job, and I have loved every moment of my work since then!”

Guimond was the first employee of the AFEV to make the certification training between Resident Assistant and Certified Nursing Aid in the assisted living facility.  Working in the Hawthorn House for four years, Angela has seen her love for the residents grow.

“I’ve been here since 2005 and I can say that this is what I am supposed to do with my life,” Angela says.  “When the Admissions Coordinator position came open, Chief thought of me and I’ve spent the last year coming in to a job that I love!”

Her work in Admissions ranges from working with potential residents to working a wide range of financial and legal issues for current residents.  She also helps residents and their family with moving arrangements.  Billing accuracy is paramount and Angela insures each and every resident’s file is complete and accurate.  She is also responsible for keeping the active waiting list, which requires referrals from Doctors, Case Managers and members of the medical community.

“Angela’s finesse and sensitivity with residents and their family issues is unparalleled, she maintains the highest level of professionalism and discretion while making people feel comfortable and at ease,” says Jennifer Carron, Hawthorn House Administrator.   “She formed a new Red Hat Society and takes them out monthly for a lunch full of her fun.”

Mrs Guimond has been married to Jerry, a Vietnam Veteran, for 14 years, the last 12 years they’ve lived in Navarre. Their son, Michael, is 12 and attends Navarre Middle School.  The family takes great pride in community volunteerism.  Michael has volunteered with “Praise in the Park” in Eliza Jackson Park every other Sunday for two years, and has volunteered with his Mother for many Air Force Enlisted Village Projects including the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Mardi Gras on the Island parade, Shalimar’s Relay for Life at AFEV and fund-raisers for that American Cancer Society event.

Angela is a native of Goldsboro, North Carolina and is a graduate of Okaloosa Walton College and Northwest Florida State College with degrees in Office Systems Technology and Childhood Education. She recently received her Florida State Assisted Living Administrator’s Certification.

“I’m honored, very honored to be chosen Employee of the Year because I know who I work with and they are all wonderful people.” She said.

“Emerald Coast Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” (MSABC) has named a 48-year breast cancer survivor as the honorary chairman of their 2009 walk. Betty Sandage is a resident of the Hawthorn House, the assisted living facility at the Air Force Enlisted Village (AFEV) in Shalimar, Fla.

“At last year’s Walk, the AFEV had a multi-seat golf cart decorated for the Walk in pink boas and signs and the survivors all carried hand fans with the number of years they had beat the disease prominently displayed,” began Emily Jennings, Community Representative for the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Fort Walton Beach. Emily serves as the ACS spokesperson for MSABC event on the Emerald Coast. To Emily the job is personal as she lost her Father to cancer when she was three-years-old.

“We’re inviting everyone to come out on Saturday, October 24th for our 9:00 a.m. Walk to meet Mrs. Betty, to celebrate with the other survivors, and to remember those for whom a cure did not come soon enough.” Jennings continues.

October is breast cancer awareness month and the Making Strides 5K walk is a way to raise funds for breast cancer research. Emerald Coast’s MSABC is in its 5th year and begins at the Village Baptist Church in Destin, follows old highway 98 and returns to the Church after the noncompetitive walk. The 2008 event raised $47,000 for research toward a cure for breast cancer and the 2009 goal is $52,000. In 2008 the State of Florida had 11,850 new cases of breast cancer resulting in 2,760 deaths making Florida the 4th highest state in the nation.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with an 8:30 salsa dance warm-up and survivor photos taken. The walk will be led by the Hawthorn House golf cart, with the crowned Honorary chair – Mrs. Sandage, and “court” of other breast cancer survivors who are her neighbors in Hawthorn House, each with their survival year on hand fans. Participants will return to the Church for music by the Destin Middle School jazz band and the awards presentation. Awards include recognition of the team who raised the most money, most spirited, and best dressed.

“Seeing Mrs. Sandage on that walk holding a ‘Survivor for 48 years’ fan will give hope to those who have fought breast cancer,” Emily said. “Whether they are three or ten years out from diagnosis, she will be a great source of hope to each of them and hope is so important.”

Sandage is 48 years past her breast cancer diagnosis which came when she was 40 years old. The 87 year-old survivor says that her diagnosis came after she discovered a “pea sized” lump in a breast.

“Back then,” Sandage began. “You didn’t do self exams or even talk about them. My husband was in the Air Force Strategic Air Command and he was being reassigned to another Post, our first move, and I just waited till we finished the move to get a physical before going back to work.”

“The doctor took one look at me and said he’d like to do surgery the next day – the surgery was a radical mastectomy.” She continued. “They did skin graphs from my thighs and at that time no one gave me a prosthesis option so I just stuffed my bras with Kleenex!” she smiled and said.

“I had a cause to help and I got on it in Maine as a volunteer in the Reach for Recovery program.” Sandage recalls. “I spoke to women recently diagnosed and told them that they would swim again and raise their arm in the air again!”

“Since I did not have an encourager with my diagnosis and surgery I made myself into one!” She adds.

In the 48 years since her diagnosis Sandage raised two daughters and a son, lost her husband of 40 years, was a great seamstress, traveled extensively through Europe and especially enjoyed her time in the Holy Land. She moved to the AFEV 19 years ago and today, she enjoys listening to all types of music, loves reading – she averages two books a week. She is a member of the Red Hat Society at the Hawthorn House and enjoys holiday activities.

“Being crowned honorary chairperson for MSABC is such an honor,” she said. “If I could just get the message out to women that early detection is the key to survival, I would be thrilled! I wish every woman knew the importance of self exams and I wish they would share the importance with their daughters and their granddaughters and their great granddaughters!”

The MSABC 2009 event is co-chaired by Debbie Head and Julie Wall, sonographers from Sacred Heart Hospital in Destin. The co-chairs are well aware of the importance of early detection as they work in the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center specifically designed to centralize all screening and diagnostic appointments for mammograms, stereotactic breast biopsies, ultrasounds and bone density scans. For more information on Making Strides for Breast Cancer 2009 please call 850.244.3813 or visit the website link www.cancer.org. For more information on the Hawthorn House please call 850. 609.2550.