Moody SARC named Social Worker of the Year

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brigitte N. Brantley-Sisk
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  After witnessing close friends suffer physical abuse and sexual assaults at the hands of family members, a young Frances Elmore was instilled with the passion to make a difference.

She has advocated for victims of these crimes in her role as the sexual assault response coordinator for more than two decades. The extent of her work led to her being named the 2011 South Georgia Social Worker of the Year.

"My friends would come to school and try to hide their bruises," said Ms. Elmore. "This was long before domestic violence and sexual assault incidents were really talked about. Once I learned how widespread these issues were, I wanted to help people affected by such horrific events."

Since then, she has become a certified social worker with a master's in social work and is active in several professional organizations.

"My nomination for this award was truly a surprise, so getting chosen was really a great feeling," Ms. Elmore said. "I dedicate every day of my life to trying to make a difference, so I'm grateful to be recognized by my peers. Being selected among an array of outstanding social workers is an outstanding accomplishment."

She has been working at Moody for only a few years, but has had an immeasurable impact. Her passion for helping others was especially noticed by a fellow social worker.

"Ms. Elmore has shown great fortitude in helping to ensure the safety of Airmen who give their lives to protect us," said Lawanna Barron, Family Advocacy outreach manager. "Only a phenomenal social worker could work to change the culture and environment where sexual assault exists.

"Ms. Elmore is very courageous for going before commanders and first sergeants to advocate for victims of sexual assault," she added. "For many years, there was an environment which did not support talking about this issue. She has done a lot through intervention and training to bring awareness to it."

Although Ms. Elmore recently hired a program assistant, she was the only one in her office for the first three and a half years she was at Moody. That means she was constantly on call and responded to calls 24/7.

"It takes someone who really cares about this type of work to be effective," she said. "To me, it's more than a job or a paycheck. I get to assist someone who may be hurting and do not have any other outlet or release. That's why I'm here."

Ms. Elmore has developed ways to deal with the stress that comes from the serious situations of her job.

"It can be very hard to hold back tears when responding to sexual assault victims, but I'm here and I have to be strong," she said. "There are times when I need to unwind. I love listening to jazz and going to live concerts and the beach."

Ms. Elmore plans to retire near the beach, which she said will not happen for some time.
"I plan to stay around as long as I feel I am making a difference in what I do," she said. "I enjoy working with the Air Force because it allows me to contribute to the mission and serve my country. Sexual assault and domestic violence can have a huge impact on Airmen successfully getting the job done.

"I hope I help them move beyond the sexual assault incident and restore some normalcy to their lives," she added. "I'm truly grateful for the commanders, first sergeants and special agents who address the problem of sexual assault and work to eliminate it from our Moody family."

Ms. Elmore assisted veterans during her employment with the Department of Veteran Affairs and started her SARC career at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio.