Volunteer will meet president

Jace Radke

Monday, Nov. 24, 2003 | 9:37 a.m.

Maria Konold-Soto doesn't usually have a lot of extra time, what with three children, a husband, a full-time job, and volunteer work. But on Tuesday she will make time to meet President Bush and be recognized for her work in the Las Vegas community.

"I'm really very tickled that I get to meet him, but what do you wear to meet the president?" Konold-Soto said. "People who know about it have been calling me and saying how exciting it is, but I really haven't had a chance to think about it.

"I've been a volunteer throughout my life, and I've always done it because I enjoy helping, but it's nice once in awhile when you get to do something cool like this."

Bush plans to meet Konold-Soto, 41, after he arrives on Air Force One at McCarran International Airport on Tuesday. He is recognizing her for her work as part of his USA Freedom Corps initiative that aims to engage all Americans in volunteer service.

Konold-Soto, a pharmacy technician at University Medical Center, is a member of the Medical Reserves Corps, a unit of health care professionals who volunteer to assist during emergency situations. The group is in its second year of operation and has 17 members, said Paula Martel, program manager for the Clark County Health District.

"We can be deployed in emergency situations to help with triage," Martel said. "We won't be out there taking over, but we are avaliable to help where needed."

The group is also available in some nonemergency situations, Martel said.

"We've had some of our volunteer nurses helping with flu shots," said Martel, who hopes to increase the program to 50 licensed or certified medical professionals. "We were asked to help staff health district phone banks on the recent bad air day during the California fires, but it turned out we weren't needed."

Martel said that she's happy the volunteers in the program can be recognized through Kobold-Soto.

"I wanted to recognize all that she has done," Martel said. "I'm amazed at what these volunteers can do."

Kobold-Soto, who was born and raised in Las Vegas, recruits pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Las Vegas to join the reserve corps, but her charity isn't limited to the reserve corps.

Kobold-Soto volunteers with Trauma Intervention Programs Inc., which provides counseling at tragedy scenes at the request of firefighters, police and ambulance crews. She also does some volunteer work with Nevada Child Seekers and finds time for the Girl Scouts, not to mention her 18 and 13-year-old daughters and 12-year-old son.

"I started volunteering at Child Haven when I was 18, and I've always just been able to find something to do," Kobold-Soto said.

Even with the busy schedule she already keeps, Kobold-Soto says she is looking to get involved in a new project, and maybe even talk to the president about it.

"I hope I have the opportunity to speak to him about our community," Kobold-Soto said. "I'm looking to get involved in downtown redevelopment, because it's important that we have a historic art district in Las Vegas.

"It's so hard for people to get loans, and there should be an easier way for people to help with redevelopment."