JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Holly McHugh was selected as the Joint Base Andrews, Md., Spouse of the Year for 2015.
The spouse of Marine Staff Sgt. Jay McHugh, Holly was nominated by Andrews Attic volunteer Katie Green.
"Holly gives of herself and time in all that she does," Green said. "She volunteers and has managed the Airman's Attic on Joint Base Andrews for the past eight months. She's always positive and upbeat, a true model spouse in the military."
McHugh volunteered more than 2000 hours in the past three-and-a-half years at the Andrews Attic, a place on base that assists in the day-to-day and emergency needs of our military community.
"Its about helping your military family and humanity," McHugh said. "When I first moved here we didn't have anything. We came from Texas and the attic helped us out a lot. That was the reason I stepped up to management, because I wanted to pay it forward and help others."
Military families who were displaced by fires, single military personnel, extended deployments and military members moving from overseas waiting for their shipments are just a few things McHugh and the rest of the Andrews Attic volunteers help with.
In 2013, Military Spouse magazine expanded the Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year program by introducing an installation echelon. Nominations are now aggregated at the base, district and state level.
This year, more than 1,600 nominations were submitted from 197 installations across the country.
Voters then elected a base level winner at each installation.
"The military spouses who have maintained the home front during deployments and training missions have accomplished remarkable feats," said Kate Dolack, Editor-in-Chief of Military Spouse magazine. "They have supported not only our military, but added to the strength of the nation."
Candidates for the 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year come from more than 170 bases and all 9 Coast Guard districts.
McHugh has plans to reach out to other bases to start similar volunteer based programs that can share the same resources Andrews Attic shares with its community.
The overall winner and 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year will be revealed at a VIP ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 8.
For additional information on the Military Spouse of the Year Program visit
http://msoy.militaryspouse.com/.