By Michael Roach
USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs
U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s Religious Support Office (RSO) hosts a Welcome Wednesday Dinner for families arriving during their Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move at 5 p.m. every Wednesday until Aug. 12 at the Panzer Hotel.
Peak PCS season runs from June to August, causing the departure and arrival of thousands of community members. RSO hosts the Welcome Wednesday Dinner every week during that time, to be of service to those new to the area.
“This is our way of inviting them to our home and sharing dinner with newcomers,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Michael Kim, deputy garrison chaplain. “People can enjoy fellowship and bring their whole family, including their dogs.”
Kim estimated that the dinners are attended by 70 to 100 people, and help bridge the gap between newly-arrived and established community members.
Last year, one of those newly arrived community members was Kelley Ginder who is now an RSO volunteer, helping with Welcome Wednesday. USAG Stuttgart has been her first overseas assignment, and that challenge deepened her appreciation for this program
“We were so impressed at how welcomed we felt when we got here, so the minute we moved into our house I immediately started volunteering,” she said. “Learning how to get plugged into the community was great, this place requires a doctorate level of PCSing.”
Kim noted that every location is different, with its own quarks and challenges.
“This event shows hospitality to the community, gets them connected with each other, and helps them receive important advice from people who have been here a while,” Kim said.
Volunteers are always needed to support the Welcome Wednesday Dinner. For information, contact the USAG Stuttgart RSO on their website.