Spouse finds support, satisfaction with Peterson Spouses Club

Published April 16, 2008
By Corey Dahl
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Looking for a way to connect with the military community, Amy Wren turned to the Peterson Spouses Club when she first arrived in Colorado Springs.

"We were planning to live off base, and I wanted some sort of military connection," she said. "There are certain things that only military spouses can understand, and I wanted to be a part of that community."

Two and a half years later, the club has provided her with that connection - and so much more.

Now the club's president, Mrs. Wren, the 21st Space Wing's volunteer of the year, dedicates about 20 hours of her time to the club each week, helping organize year-round social and charitable events for the group. Juggling the club along with her duties as the mother of three school-age children, a school volunteer and the wife of a deployed Airmen isn't always easy, Mrs. Wren said, but it's always rewarding.

"I wish I could find a paying job that's as rewarding as the volunteer work I do," she said. "I guess part of my volunteering has been very selfish because I get a lot out of it - personal satisfaction, personal support."

The Peterson Spouses Club organizes several charitable programs throughout the year, such as Bunko for the Cure - which raised $1,800 for cancer research this year - and the annual Christmas Cookies for the Troops drive. The club also runs the Peterson Thrift Shop, using the profits to fund scholarships for military children and spouses, sponsor base events and support programs run by organizations such as the Airman and Family Readiness Center and the Red Cross.

The club also has a social aspect, organizing subgroups such as lunch bunches, quilting groups and book clubs for military spouses. The groups allow the spouses to build friendships and create a network of support, Mrs. Wren said.

A few weeks ago, when she was invited to attend a breakfast for 21st SW awards winners, Mrs. Wren wasn't sure how she would get her kids to school, get ready and make it to Peterson's club on time. But her Peterson Spouses Club friends heard about her dilemma and offered to help out with the kids so she could attend the breakfast.

"They were just ready to help out," she said. "To have that kind of support is great. They're just so willing."

A high level of support is what drives the Peterson Spouses Club, Mrs. Wren said. While she was recognized as the 21st SW's volunteer of the year, the award really belongs to all of the volunteers who make the base and the Peterson Spouses Club tick, she said.

"If it weren't for the fact that I have a phenomenal bunch of ladies working with me, I wouldn't be volunteer of the year - I'm just taking credit for it," she said. "All volunteers deserve an award. If you only volunteer two to four hours a week, that doesn't make you any less competent than someone who volunteers 20 hours a week. It all counts."

Mrs. Wren is planning on scaling back her own volunteering in the year ahead. She'll step down as the club president but will stay involved with other aspects of the club.

"It's a demanding job," she said. "It's time for somebody with new, fresh ideas to come in and take over. I'll step back and not be such a control freak."

Lidia Davidson, the club's current vice president, said it will be hard to fill Mrs. Wren's shoes.

"Amy's leadership has been an inspiration to us all," she said. "We all have busy lives - whether working outside the home, volunteering at our children's schools, or the team mom and driver for various sports. But the Spouses Club is the link that keeps us connected with the military life we live every day."

AT A GLANCE:

For more information about the Peterson Spouses Club, visit the website at www.petersonspousesclub.com. The club is open to spouses of all ranks and services.

21st Space Wing Volunteer of the Year