On November 13, over thirty service men and women from the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Forrest Sherman and Embaixatriz Mary Glass participated in volunteer activities throughout Lisbon. During their free time, the sailors emphasized the important values of citizen engagement and service.
Service members from the USS Harry S. Truman conducted activities in Monsanto Park and at the Ronald McDonald House, both places where the U.S. Embassy community has volunteered in recent years. At Monsanto, the volunteers cleared brush, helped with tree maintenance, and supported general land conservation efforts. At the Ronald McDonald House, “home away from home” for families receiving treatment at Hospital D. Estefania, the volunteers engaged in a number of cleaning projects. At the same time, service members from the USS Forrest Sherman helped to paint spaces at the Aldeias de Crianças SOS Portugal, a local orphanage.
Chief Operations Specialist Rod Thompson, who led the group volunteering at Monsanto affirmed “Community service projects during our visit to Portugal truly helped us connect with the community of Lisbon and demonstrate solidarity with our hosts.” Embaixatriz Mrs. Glass who also volunteered at Monsanto and Ronald McDonald House added, “We are thankful to the crew of the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Forrest Sherman for volunteering their time to support the community of greater Lisbon. They are dedicating their free time in a great city like Lisbon, to help give back and support important, local efforts.” The U.S. Embassy remains committed to working with local partners on initiatives that address mutual challenges and support vulnerable populations.
The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was commissioned on July 25, 1998, and is the ninth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Prior to arriving in Lisbon, the Harry S. Truman, and select ships from Carrier Strike Group Eight, operated in the Arctic Circle and participated in Trident Juncture 2018 – the largest NATO exercise in 30 years.
