MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Team Moody is still accepting donations for the 2021 Air Force Assistance Fund campaign until 9 April, 2021.
The AFAF campaign is designed to raise funds for four charities that directly support Air Force families in need by offering financial and educational assistance. Moody’s 2021 goal is to raise $57,333.
“Each and every one of us can make a direct impact helping an Airman in need,” said 2nd Lt. Winona Rain Jones-Vallejos, 23d Logistics Readiness Squadron section commander and AFAF installation project officer. “Our contribution can be the difference in someone’s life. Whether it be to keep a widowed spouse of an Air Force member housed in a safe community, or to help an Airman make ends meet, our donations can make a world of difference.”
The four AFAF organizations are:
- Air Force Village Charitable Foundation, which cares for widowed spouses of retired Air Force officers by providing a safe, comfortable home in a retirement community located in San Antonio, Texas.
- Air Force Aid Society, which provides funds for emergency financial assistance and on-base community programs for Air Force members.
- Air Force Enlisted Village, which provides a home to surviving spouses of retired enlisted Air Force Members in a safe, dignified, caring community.
- General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, which helps surviving spouses of United States Air Force and United States Space Force members stay in their homes.
Each organization specializes in assisting Airmen in different ways. Jones-Vallejos emphasized how the Air Force Aid Society can help those in need.
“One way the Air Force Aid Society can assist an Airman in need is to cover the expenses of plane tickets in the event of a family emergency,” Jones-Vallejos said. “Additionally, with (COVID-19) having impacted so many of us across the country and changing the lives of not only ourselves, but our families, the Air Force Aid Society offers grants to help parents of school-age children cover virtual learning costs.”
The AFAF organizations rely solely on donations to provide their support.
“The AFAF slogan is ‘For Airmen & Guardians, By Airmen & Guardians,’” said Master Sgt. Charles Scaperotto, 23d Maintenance Squadron propulsion flight chief and AFAF assistant installation project officer. “It is especially meaningful because the donations generated during the campaign are available for Airmen and their families from their first day in the Air Force through their retirement.”
Contributing to the AFAF gives Airmen a chance to make an impact throughout the Air Force.
“I just think it’s a great opportunity to pay it forward, and allows us the chance to take care of our own,” Jones-Vallejos said.
For more information, or to donate, Airmen can reach out to Jones-Vallejos, Scaperotto, or their unit project officer with any questions, or they can visit the AFAF website at www.afassistancefund.org.