Edwards 2010 AFAF campaign begins Published Feb. 10, 2010 By Airman 1st Class William A. O'Brien 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Edwards six-week campaign to raise money for the Air Force Assistance Fund began Feb. 8 and will run through March 19. According to the Air Force Assistance Fund Web site, The AFAF was established to provide for an annual effort to raise funds for the charitable affiliates that provide support to the Air Force family, which includes Active Duty, retirees, Reservists, Guardsmen and their dependents, which including surviving spouses. These organizations are the Air Force Village Foundation, Inc., the Air Force Aid Society, Inc., the General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, and the Air Force Enlisted Village, Inc. These organizations help Air Force people with emergency aid, educational grants and secure retirement homes for widows or widowers of Air Force members in need of financial assistance. For the campaign, Capt. James Athnos, 95th Medical Logistics Flight Commander and Installation Project Officer for this year's AFAF Campaign, said the unit project officers and key workers are crucial to the success of this campaign and their ability to make contact with all Airmen in their units with a goal of half making donations to the campaign. "We have 12 Unit Project Officers and they will go to the flight and squadron levels and assign key workers. It will be those key workers who are essential in our effort to get 100 percent contact," said Captain Athnos. "It's not going to be 2nd Lt. Patrick Goingco and I who are able to reach out to all the Airmen; it's going to be the key workers that we rely on for that. They will be handing out the brochures and explain what the AFAF is and assisting the Airmen in filling out AF Form 2561 correctly. " This year, Edwards monetary goal is $50,575. This number is calculated by the Air Force personnel Center based on the number of Airmen serviced by the base's Military Personnel Section and includes tenant and geographically separated units. "Our goal is to reach $50,575," said Capt. James Athnos. "We also have a goal of 100 percent contact with all Active-Duty Airmen. But we don't want to leave out our civilian counterparts, they can donate, they just can't donate through payroll deduction. They must also understand that it's not going to them; it's going to the Airmen sitting next to them." Each of the four charitable affiliates provides support to different aspects of the Air Force family. The Air Force Aid Society supports Active Duty Airmen with three different aspects of monetary support. "Air Force Aid Society has three cornerstones to supporting Active-Duty Airmen and their families," said Glenn Arola, Air Force Aid Society Officer. "Those three corner stones are Emergency Assistance, Education Grants and Community Enhancement Programs. Between those three programs last year, we assisted 109 Airmen with more than $66,354." Although the Air Force Assistance Fund is associated with Air Force servicemembers, Mr. Arola, said through the AFAS, members of all associated services have been assisted as well. "We support all services through the AFAS because of the agreements we have with their respective relief organizations," said Mr. Arola. "Through Emergency Assistance, we've assisted many active duty and retired members who reside in the local area." The Air Force Village and Air Force Enlisted Village support retired Airmen and their families by providing them with a retirement community. "The Air Force Village and the Air Force Enlisted Village supports those who have served their country proudly and may now need assisted living, the AFV and AFEV are unique to other retirement communities in that only those who have served and their dependents can be a resident," said Captain Athnos. The LeMay Foundation helps widows of Air Force Retirees, both officers and enlisted, through financial grants. "The LeMay foundation gives monetary support to widows," said Mr. Arola. "When somebody's widowed and they have a lot of need, they can apply with the LeMay Foundation to get onetime program assistance or a monthly stipend depending on their situation." Captain Athnos said this is an opportunity for Airmen to be good wingmen and help Airmen in need. "I think it's important that as we think about the nation as a whole, we're struggling right now and we're not immune to that as the military," said Captain Athnos. "Some of our Airmen are also struggling and this lets us help each other out as an Air Force family." For more information about the four funds or for a contribution form, visit http://afassistancefund.org/.