November 05, 2015
Service with a Smile
FORT MEADE, Md. – Michele’s passion for serving her neighbors began with her involvement with her children’s sports. She and her husband saw a need for a local lacrosse team so they started one.
“Working with the kids’ lacrosse team, it started with one day a month and became three to four days a week, running a huge program with over a hundred kids. That’s where I would say my drive to serve started,” Michele said.
Michele Hughes is an Air Force veteran and real estate agent in Mechanicsville, Maryland. Michele served in medical and deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm during her six year enlistment. She continues to devote her time and energy to her local community.
Through her work as a real estate agent and her company’s involvement with the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors’(SMAR) Community Action and Realtor Excellence (CARE) committee, Michele spent time supporting various local and national charities.
“I became a member of the SMAR CARE committee and we did a “Secret Santa” for all the senior citizens’ homes in the area. One of the homes was the Charlotte Hall Veterans’ Home. I spearheaded that and wanted to be the point of contact since I’m a vet,” Michele said.
A friend of Michele’s encouraged her to join the Moose Lodge because of the organization’s dedication to bringing communities closer together through volunteer work. She carried her involvement with the Charlotte Hall home with her to the Lodge.
When asked to join the board for the lodge, Michele insisted that she would but only if they became more involved with the veterans. The lodge holds monthly dinner and day out events for the residents of the home.
Michele spends 30 to 40 hours a week on her volunteer work with planning meetings, paperwork and attending the actual events. She rarely has a moment to relax but she doesn’t regret the time sacrifice and she never stops smiling.
“I just can’t imagine going through life as someone in the background. That’s just not my style,” Michele said. ”I love to do things I don’t get paid for.”