Huber Heights Woman Recognized As Extraordinary Volunteer

The Young Marines named Amanda Hardy as the Adult Volunteer of the Year for Division 5. She is a volunteer with the Miami Valley Young Marines from Huber Heights and a second location at Amvets, in Troy, Ohio. Hardy is the adjutant of Miami Valley Young Marines. She is a resident of Huber Heights, Ohio.

The Young Marines is a youth education and service program for boys and girls, age 8 through high school graduation. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on character building, leadership, and it promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Division 5 includes ten states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Miami Valley Young Marines has 19 youth members and 11 adult volunteers.

“Amanda’s passion and determination really stand out in all she has done for her unit as well as for the organization,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. "She is a dedicated mentor and teacher, reflecting all the best traits of our volunteers.”

The Miami Valley Young Marines has been very active in the community with events such as National Night Out, Hook-a-Kid fishing event, Wreaths Across America, Adopt a Highway, Color Guards, and Toys for Tots. The unit also hosted the Miami Valley 75 that was a series of hikes over the span of a month that would add up to 75K. The event was held to promote Drug Demand Reduction (DDR), and funds raised went to Camp Mariposa, a local camp for youth ages 9-12 who are affected by the substance abuse disorder of loved ones.

"My life and the life of my sons will forever be changed for the better by the Young Marines, Amanda said. “The dedicated volunteers help make this program successful. Winston Churchill once said, ‘You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.’ For me, that life is fulfilled through my work with our youth and our future leaders.”

For more information about Miami Valley Young Marines, call Jay Wheeler, recruit officer, at 937-689-4460.

About the Young Marines

The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through high school graduation. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Since the Young Marines' humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to more than 238 units with 6,100 youth and 2,100 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in a host of other countries.

For more information, visit the official website at: https://youngmarines.org.