Hanscom-Area Associates Keep Family Ties Strong During COVID-19 Pandemic
Hanscom AFB Commander Col. Chad Ellsworth and Exchange HR recruiter Nora Pile display a banner on April 3 Hanscom Strong Day.
Long-distance relationships can be tough.
For Hanscom Exchange General Manager Tammy Toney, whose facilities span hundreds of miles from Massachusetts to Maine, the COVID-19 pandemic has made distance all the more significant for her most far-flung teams.
“We’re in a state of constant change,” Toney said. “You want your people to feel appreciated, but with how important it is to physically distance right now, you can’t exactly bake them cookies.”
To remind her Exchanges that they’re not alone, Toney brought associates from all corners of Team Hanscom together on April 3 for a virtual show of solidarity: Hanscom Strong Day.
Teams from Westover Air Reserve Base, Hanscom Air Force Base, Fort Devens and Bangor Air National Guard Base each photographed themselves holding up signs with hashtags specific to their locations—#HanscomStrong, #WestoverStrong, #DevensStrong and #BangorStrong—and shared the photos with each other via email.
“I wanted it to speak to their location and who they are, but also remind them that they’re all Team Hanscom,” Toney said. “They may be separated by distance, but they’re united in mission.”
More than 240 miles north of Hanscom AFB, Store Manager Rose Lawler leads a small team of four at the Bangor ANGB troop store. She said the exercise meant a lot to her associates, who are now restricted from the kind of mundane supply runs that were once an opportunity to mingle with associates from other facilities.
“We have great support from our installation and our GM, but you do sometimes feel lonely out here,” Lawler said. “We’ve definitely had some of the other stores communicate with us more since the photos, even if it’s just checking in to make sure we’re OK, which we really appreciate.”
At Hanscom AFB, base Commander Col. Chad Ellsworth joined associates for their photos, taking the opportunity to thank the team for their continued support during the pandemic. He also brought a representative from Hanscom AFB Public Health, who gave associates tips on how to minimize exposure and stay safe during the pandemic.
“The fact that Col. Ellsworth would take time out of his busy schedule really went a long way for them,” Toney said. “Things have been a little more normal after that. They have a little more pep in their step. It was nice for them to get a sense of warmth for what they’re doing, because interactions tend to get a bit sterile when you’re trying to sanitize everything and stay six feet apart.”
Meanwhile, Lawler said the Bangor team is making sure to keep morale high during the pandemic. They’re keeping up their tradition of semi-regular barbecues and pizza parties, and they’ve even started having birthday parties for associates.
“The associate we just threw a party for, his family are all down in the southern part of the state, so he was feeling a little down about not being able to see them on his birthday,” Lawler said. “We got him an ice cream cake and had some barbecue, and that really cheered him up.
“We’re trying to keep things on an upbeat note.”
