LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Air Force members at Lackland, Randolph and Fort Sam Houston have the opportunity to participate in the annual charity campaign that allows Airmen to help Airmen.
The Air Force Assistance Fund drive takes place in Joint Base San Antonio units March 8 through April 16.
During the annual "Commitment to Caring" campaign, Airmen can contribute to four Air Force charitable org-anizations: Air Force Aid Society, Air Force Village, Air Force Enlisted Village, and General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation.
Contributions to the AFAF benefit active-duty, Reserve and Guard members, retired Air Force members, surviving spouses and families.
"AFAF gives us the chance to help the members of our Air Force family in need - those who have gone before us and those still serving today," said Brig. Gen. Leonard Patrick, 502nd ABW commander. "Lackland and Randolph have always been strong supporters of this campaign, and I'm confident the contributions from those bases combined with the donations from the headquarters staff on Ft. Sam Houston will once again prove that Airmen in San Antonio care about their fellow Airmen."
In addition to achieving the primary objective of 100 percent contact with everyone eligible to make a contribution, the campaign this year features an incentive for donations - a first-ever competition among installations in several categories: percent over goal; donation amount equal to or greater than the previous year's amount; and active-duty participation rate.
Air Force Aid Society officials will award a $2,500 cash prize to the winning installation in each group to be used for programs supporting the base community.
Unit keyworkers will personally contact everyone in the organization once the campaign begins, said Master Sgt. Chad Winkelman, AFAF project officer for the 502nd ABW.
"We want to come out of the gates strong and build some early momentum in support of these Air Force charities," Sergeant Winkelman said. "We'll be the pacesetters for the rest of the Air Force and we'll set the bar high for future 502nd campaigns."
People can contribute by cash, check or money order, or use payroll deductions for:
· The Air Force Aid Society, which provides Airmen and their families worldwide with emergency financial assistance, education assistance and an array of base-level community-enhancement programs. More information is available at
www.afas.org.
· The Air Force Enlisted Village, which includes Teresa Village in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Bob Hope Village in Shalimar, Fla., near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The fund provides homes and financial assistance to widows and widowers of retired enlisted people 55 and older. More information is available at
www.afenlistedwidows.org.
· Air Force Village, which includes Air Force Village I and II in San Antonio, a life-care community for retired officers, spouses, widows or widowers and family members. The Air Force Village Web site is
www.airforcevillages.com.
· The General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, which provides rent and financial assistance to widows and widowers of officer and enlisted retirees in their homes and communities through financial grants. The LeMay Foundation Web site is
www.lemay-foundation.org.
For more information about the AFAF, visit
www.afassistancefund.org.