Taking a bite out of crime: A volunteer story Published Sept. 16, 2008 By Jodie Wankowski Special to Times VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The atmosphere was festive. A booming sound system offered popular music and got the crowd dancing. Children lined up to get colorful and unique designs at a face painting kiosk. Gleefully, preschool children jumped in a gigantic bouncy castle. The smell of barbequed burgers permeated the air, causing all but one mouth to water. The unmoved mouth, the one immune to the temptation of perfectly seasoned food, was in a trailer a few feet from the grilling station. Its teeth showed signs of rot and were blackened by disease. The gums were receded and horrid. One child, my nine-year-old son Andrew, was horror stricken by the sight of the sickly mouth. He looked at it frozen and in disgust. When the lady in the trailer spoke, he was too overcome to answer her or make eye contact. My son is not a rude child. He did not offend the lady. The woman was a volunteer and was quite used to the reaction caused by the awful looking orifice. On August 8th, Vandenberg AFB played host to a National Night Out celebration. The event is held in many neighborhoods nationwide, and in 2008 celebrated its 25th anniversary. The goal is to get neighbors together to foster a sense of unity and to combat crime through education. It also sends a clear message to criminals-a hosting neighborhood is presenting a united anti-crime front. Among things normally found at an event of this type-music, food and a feeling of community-were various trailers to promote crime awareness. Some were from local law and fire agencies while others were strictly military-issue. The fire department presented a mobile smoke-filled room simulator. It taught all who entered proper techniques to survive a fire in a dwelling. Due to the training provided by the on-duty firefighters, those who accepted the challenge of seeking escape from the fictional flames were successful. The lady and the teeth were found in a trailer dedicated to the prevention of drug use. She took both young and old on a tour through the perils of substance abuse. Near the short program's end was a "Meth Mouth," a plastic replica of a methamphetamine abuser's teeth and gums. Methamphetamine is a powerful drug that destroys a user's body. It ruins lives and families, and deteriorates neighborhoods as well. Highly addictive, many addicts turn to lives of crime to support habits. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and educating people about the evils of meth use is important. It has become a standard in drug education presentations. The lady volunteering in the trailer pointed out to my son, and all in attendance, the consequences of abusing drugs. She talked about the harm meth and other drugs cause. The focal point of one exhibit drove the anti-drug message home. "This is what a methamphetamine user's mouth looks like. The teeth rot out and the gums fall apart," she said. As stated earlier, my son was unable to speak after seeing the damage methamphetamines cause. Trying to be nice and engage my shocked Andrew in an anti-drug dialogue, she offered him a bag full of stickers and other items carrying a drug free message. Still being kind, she asked him to remember what he saw and to learn from it. Some time after leaving the trailer, my son recovered enough to discuss the experience's content. "Mom, I am never, never ever going to use drugs. Ever," he said. "That was the most hideous thing I've ever seen!" Such a strong anti-drug statement would make any mom smile. The positive message was well received and hopefully a course of refraining from illegal drugs had begun. This good start to life, a drug free existence, was provided by a volunteer's dedication. A woman gave time to better her community, one life at a time. When someone volunteers it touches people immediately. Impacted people form the bigger community. The act of volunteering is like throwing a stone in water. The ripple effect continues on to other areas. The lady who volunteered to man the drug-free trailer may have given a young person a valuable tool to avoid substance abuse. This one affected person will not a commit drug related crime. Someone else will not become a crime statistic, a victim. She started a chain of positivity and did her part to safeguard a community. It was a small splash, a few hours of her time to promote a positive message, but the ripple will continue well into the future. Being an all volunteer Air Force, our country sees the good from peoples' willingness to do a job. Our nation's troops believe in the jobs they perform. They made a choice to be defenders. It makes a big difference to all US citizens and the international community. Somewhere, on some air base, an Airman is tightening a screw. It is a seemingly small contribution. The hardware being adjusted may constitute a little repair, but it is a vital cog in the Air Force machine. Small acts impact big endeavors. It could be said that it's the small stuff that has the biggest effect down the road. If that little bolt was not tightened, the whole mission-the machinery-can fall apart. When it comes to volunteering, even in a limited capacity, the effect is widely felt. The Airman enlisting to serve may be assigned a small task, but it's surely a vital one. The community volunteer might give an hour or two to educate for a given cause, but that education will benefit a community. To the troops that have volunteered to serve America, thank you. There are no small jobs and each duty is a gift to the nation's defense. To the lady who volunteered time to teach children like my son about drug dangers, you have my gratitude. You may have saved my son and prevented future drug related injustices. To volunteers in general, thank you for being a small cornerstone in the building of the greater community.