A Second Wind of Service by Ray Curry

Posted on 09. May, 2009 by admin in Participant Blogs

Ray Curry, HEAT Program Participant

After deploying to Iraq, I have many-a-buried-memory of entering strangers’ homes. These invasive orders were to directly ensure the safety of my Unit and myself. However, typically finding nothing of note, they made me feel like a perpetrator. In a detachment of security personnel, we become a tightly-knit fire team, equipped with high-speed gear to ensure the efficiency of our movements and missions.

As a ‘Green Veteran’ I have now been equipped with the training, tools and team for a different much-needed mission. Entering the homes of strangers on a daily basis to conduct home energy audits, I initially felt a hint of apprehension. Knocking on the first door, a 93 yr old woman named Patricia answered and I could immediately see that we shared that apprehension. After brief introductions, noting that we were veterans, I could see a sense of trust and respect begin to establish itself. We found ourselves sitting around the kitchen table, hearing stories and updates on her family members that were and are in the military.

Patricia was more than happy to show us around her home, giving us a brief – yet thorough – history of each room and appliance. As I examined the crawl space under her home, attic, and the rest, I began to feel an overwhelming sense of service and connection, knowing we were going to be able to make sure her pipes didn’t freeze and her heat wasn’t shut off this upcoming winter. I was no longer the perpetrator, but the fixer.

Accurately articulating the myriad of emotions I feel, assisting one family at a time would end in futile attempts. I am encouraged because my fellow participants in VGJ’s HEAT program all share these feelings towards this community. Daily, the second-wind of service re-enters my focus, and I am honored to be a part of the driving force that will tend to our suffering environment, heal our ailing economy, and re-connect and empower our communities.

-Ray Curry
USMC OIF Veteran
Veterans Green Jobs Energy Efficiency Professional