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Looking for that last minute tax deduction?

For me life isn’t always about crashing down a river or through the woods to the top of a mountain. Sometimes satisfaction comes from helping others. I’m in a job most people can only dream of, being paid to respond to emergencies as a firefighter paramedic. It is truly is a job I love and I can’t think of a profession I would rather be in. What many people don’t know about me is that I’m still heavily involved in several volunteer organizations, Olympic Mountain Rescue, a Mason County Fire District, and “Outreach Emergency Services Program” (OESP). Last January I spent two weeks in Cambodia teaching the first EMT class in Cambodia and helping set up the first emergency services system for the entire county with some to the top Cambodian governmental officials. It truly was the hardest I have ever worked on a vacation putting in 18 hour days. You can read about last years experiences by clicking January archives. On a daily bases at work I make differences in peoples lives while responding to people’s emergencies and with my teaching in Mason County and Olympic Mountain Rescue, the people I instruct make differences, but my experience in Cambodia was much greater. I was part of something that will affect thousands and thousands if not millions of people in the future. (That Was Big!) It really has left an impression on me how easy it is to positively affect people’s lives, never have I had students so grateful for instruction. I also have put back in to prospective how gratifying being a volunteer can be. This month I will be going back to Cambodia to continue were we left off last year and do additional fire training for the “Cambodian Fire Police”. Our group has partnered with Northwest Medical Teams who will be sending four additional EMT instructors, also from Australia we will be getting several fire instructors. It is really exciding to see the program grow and have such an impact. Last year Rebecca Graham editor of the North Mason Neighbor while at home in Belfair designed the Cambodian national EMS symbol via e-mail. Our funding is all out of pocket and donations, with the exception of the Cambodian government providing housing and transportation while we are teaching. To learn more about OESP visit www.oesp.net.. If you would like to help sponsor this year’s trip to Cambodia you may do so by donating you tax deductible contribution at http://www.oesp.net/participate.html and clicking on Andy Graham.