Help Now through the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program
(March 05, 2024) Robert Busey of the Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center is in need of assistance. In December, during a routine screening, Robert (or Bob as his friends call him) was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He immediately sought specialized treatment outside of Alaska.
Initial treatment includes several rounds of chemotherapy but will likely include the full suite of options that oncology has to offer. Unfortunately, most of this will require medical care that is unavailable in Alaska.
Bob is looking for assistance toward completing this treatment and getting back to being strong and healthy again. Bob has been with the National Weather Service (NWS) less than two years and the treatment will quickly deplete his leave. Any help can make a huge difference in Bob’s recovery. Working for the River Forecast Center in Anchorage has been a dream come true and as you'll see from his Alaska Region hobbies page, he has a real love of life.
Bob has been accepted and enrolled into the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP), which allows National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees to donate their own accrued annual leave hours to others in need. If you are interested in donating leave for Bob, VLTP donations can now be done 100% through GovTA. Bob has been added to the list of recipients.
To do this:
1. Click on "Leave Donations" in the bottom left corner of the GovTA main menu.
2. Click "Add Donation."
3. Fill out the form. (position, grade, step, etc should be your information)
4. Select Robert Busey from the "Search LTP Account" box. (see below)
You may also complete OPM Form 630-A here (Boxes 1 to 8 are about yourself). Please make sure the form is signed by you, and Robert Busey is named as the recipient (Box 9) when you submit it to your ASA. https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/opm630a.pdf
VLTP allows federal employees to donate annual leave to other federal employees who are experiencing a medical emergency and have exhausted their available paid leave. There is no limit on the amount of donated annual leave a leave recipient may receive from leave donor(s). However, any unused donated leave must be returned to the leave donor(s) when the medical emergency ends.
A person does not have to wait until their leave is exhausted before applying to be a recipient of VLTP. To become accepted, applicants must present medical documentation showing they anticipate that they will be on unpaid status for at least 24 hours, then complete the required paperwork, have it processed, and receive notification that they are accepted as a VLTP recipient.
Thank you for your generosity and care!
-NWSEO-