Local 2092 member Neil Frye is this year’s winner of the A. Philip Randolph–Hubert H. Humphrey Award, which is presented to an AFGE member who has demonstrated outstanding service in a community activity or in the development of community or workplace service programs or policies.
Neil, a lead anesthesia technician at the Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center in Michigan, has made substantial contributions to his local community– specifically to underprivileged youth, single mothers, incarcerated males, and youth in the juvenile detention system.
Since 2013, Neil has been visiting the Richard Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan, to mentor incarcerated men nearing their release. His mentoring aims to provide guidance and support to help these individuals reintegrate into society successfully.
He has been actively involved with the Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention Center in Michigan since 2018, working with the youth both inside the facility and after their release. His efforts include helping single mothers keep their children focused on positive activities and ensuring they have the support needed for a successful transition back into the community.
Neil has also started a youth basketball program and camp in collaboration with Ball Hard Athletics. This program is designed for boys aged 8-18 and aims to keep underprivileged youth engaged in positive activities throughout the summer and school year. Beyond basketball skills, the program emphasizes character building, positive attitudes, and community service. This initiative has helped over 120 kids receive gifts they normally would not have during the holiday season.
Neil’s inspiration comes from his late father, a Vietnam War veteran who received his care at the VA medical center until the end of his life. His father kept the Ypsilanti Parkridge Community Center open with his own funds when the city could no longer support it. This legacy of community service and dedication has profoundly influenced Neil's approach to his work, driving him to continue serving and supporting the youth and underprivileged members of his community.
“I would like to thank NVP Jeremy Lannan and NP Everett Kelley for this great honor. Most of all, I would like to thank my late father, Tommie Frye, who deserves this award more than anyone,” he said. “He served his community tirelessly through sickness and every obstacle until the end. He instilled in me the meaning of serving people and our community. He showed me every day what it was all about, and that is LOVE. Love everyone, love the unlovable. Love God and love people. That’s how you serve. That’s how you truly make a difference in your community and those around you! Let’s bring this same love to AFGE in unity! White, Black, rich, poor, Republicans, Democrat, -WE ARE ONE serving every government employee! This is our community!”
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