SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The 2016 Air Force Assistance Fund campaign for Team Seymour kicked off Feb. 29 and ends April 8, with a goal of raising $100,000.
The AFAF is an Air Force-wide campaign that generates donations for four different charities; Air Force Villages, Air Force Enlisted Villages, the General and Mrs. Curtis E. Lemay Foundation and the Air Force Aid Society.
“The goal of the Air Force Assistance Fund campaign is not to have a few Airmen donate large amounts, but rather to encourage the overall population of Airmen to help their wingmen out for just a couple dollars a month,” said Senior Master Sgt. Elbert Woods, 4th Contracting Squadron AFAF installation project officer. “These are four great charities that have been there for Airmen and their families in need year after year, the assistance can be life changing.”
Seymour Johnson AFB received more than $230,000 last year from these charities, helping approximately 445 Airmen in need. One such Airman was Tech. Sgt. Stan Williams, 4th Component Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsions mechanic.
“My family and I had a house fire about two years ago and I went to the Airmen and Family Readiness Center to see if they could just help me with pillows and blankets and such,” Williams said. “And they told me that they had programs that could help me pay for the deductible on my insurance. I had no clue about it, I had always heard of these funds and these programs, but I didn’t know anything about them. And the [Air Force Aid Society] gave me $1,000 grant to pay my deductible, and it was a huge blessing to help me pay that.”
The AFAS is the official charity of the Air Force, and in 2015 offered more than $16 million in direct assistance to Airmen and their families. The charity offers assistance through many different avenues, to include everything from emergency loans, education grants and scholarships, and even expenses for child care.
The Air Force Villages offers living accommodations for widows of retired Air Force Officers while the Air Force Enlisted Villages offers the same assistance to widows of retired Air Force enlisted members. The General and Mrs. Curtis E. Lemay Foundation helps the widows of all Air Force retirees by offering financial grants.
For more information about donating, visit http://afassistancefund.org/ or call the AFAF POCs at 722-2396 or 722-1598.