HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – The 2017 Air Force Assistance Fund charitable drive will take place here March 6 through April 14. The goal for this year's fundraising effort at Hanscom is $31,000.
The Air Force Assistance Fund is an Air Force-wide annual fundraising effort to assist past and present Airmen and their families with unexpected challenges and financial hardships through four charities: The Air Force Aid Society, General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, Air Force Village Charitable Foundation and the Air Force Enlisted Village.
“Our focus this year is to encourage members of the Hanscom community to contribute even a small amount to our brothers and sisters in arms, past and present,” said Senior Master Sgt. Kristin Eberline, this year’s installation project officer at Hanscom. “A little goes a long way and every penny validates the campaign's theme of ‘A Commitment to Caring.’”
The Air Force Assistance Fund website, www.afassistancefund.org, features information about all of the affiliate charities, videos, assistance stories and frequently asked questions. Eberline encourages those interested in making a donation to visit the site and learn more about how donations help the Air Force family.
According to Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Brust, Hanscom’s assistant installation project officer, the easiest and preferred way to donate is to complete an Air Force Form 2561 and submit it to a keyworker.
“Unlike other charitable fundraisers, this one is exclusively for our Air Force family,” he said. "Donors know their contribution is supporting other Airmen."
AFAF volunteers can only solicit on-the-job donations from active duty members and military retirees. However, cash or check contributions from civilians and local charities are accepted.
As is the case during the Combined Federal Campaign, fundraising activities on the installation are reduced significantly throughout the AFAF donation period. This can affect private organizations, or others that may be planning fundraising events or hosting unofficial activities. Specific questions regarding proposed fundraisers should be raised through Thomas St. George, 66th Force Support Squadron installation private organization manager, at 781-225-1473.
The four AFAF charities help Air Force active duty, retirees, Reserve and Air National Guard members in a variety of ways, to include aiding in emergencies, providing educational needs and helping secure a retirement home for Air Force widows or widowers in need of financial assistance.
Air Force Aid Society
The Air Force Aid Society was founded as a relief organization in 1942 by Army Air Force personnel, including General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, who wanted to take care of their own, and has been helping Airmen through difficult times ever since.
According to the Airman and Family Readiness Center, last year more than $33,000 in Air Force emergency assistance, community outreach and education grants were provided to Airmen and their families at Hanscom.
The AFAS helps to fund programs run through Hanscom's A&FRC such as respite care, Give Parents a Break, child care for volunteers, child care for permanent change of station, Car Care Because We Care and Bundles for Babies.
General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation
General Curtis E. LeMay and his wife, Helen, began their foundation, which provides for the needs of military widows across the nation, in 1987.
The General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation provides financial aid to widowed spouses of Air Force personnel of all ranks who are in need of assistance, states the organization's website www.lemay-foundation.org. The foundation uses grants to provide assistance for rent, utilities, food, some health care and other needs that may strain a widow's budget.
The foundation understands that military spouses "spend much of their lives coping with the difficulties of military life and supporting their spouses through years of active duty. Military spouses are entitled to a decent standard of living, entitled to live with dignity, and entitled to be proud of their service."
Air Force Village Charitable Foundation
The Air Force Village in San Antonio, known today as Blue Skies of Texas, has been providing a core charitable mission to care for retired Air Force officers' widowed spouses in need of financial help for nearly 50 years.
Through this charity, Air Force widowed spouses are provided a dignified, comfortable and affordable retirement community.
Two retirement communities offer independent living, skilled nursing, wellness clinics, home health care services, assisted living facilities and access to health care centers.
Air Force Enlisted Village
The Air Force Enlisted Village was founded in 1967 by a group of active duty and retired Air Force noncommissioned officers, with the assistance of former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. and Mrs. John D. Ryan.
The foundation's mission is providing financial assistance and housing to surviving spouses of Air Force enlisted members who are left without the opportunity for careers, home equities, retirement plans or any significant assets, according to the foundation's website at www.afenlistedwidows.org.
The Air Force Enlisted Village consists of two separate living facilities, Teresa Village and Bob Hope Village, located in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Shalimar, Fla., respectively. The villages include apartments, community centers, chapels, outdoor gardens and other amenities. The Bob Hope Village includes the Hawthorn House, a 64-apartment assisted living facility.
For additional information on making a donation, contact Eberline at 781-225-6288 or Brust at 781-225-5284.