AFAF kicks off at Moody

  • Published
  • By Airman Dillian Bamman
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The 2014 Air Force Assistance Fund is officially underway following a kickoff luncheon here March 24.

The purpose of the AFAF is to provide financial relief to active duty Airmen, retirees, reservists, guard and their families in times of need said U.S. Air Force Capt. Tyler Fisk, 23d Wing AFAF installation project officer.

"The AFAF is one of two campaigns, the other being the [Combined Federal Campaign], that takes monetary donations and distributes them to charities," said Fisk. "The program is primarily about Airmen helping Airmen."

Donations can be made in the form of cash, check, money order and as a deduction of pay to any of these four organizations: the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force Enlisted Village, the Air Force Villages and the General and Mrs. Curtis E. Lemay Foundation.

AFAS promotes the Air Force mission by assisting Air Force members and their families with financial and education assistance.

One example of how the AFAS helped out a family was when Ashley Nicole, wife of a deployed Moody Airman, needed financial assistance, the AFAS was there to help assist.
"I couldn't have done it without the help of this organization," said Nicole.

The Air Force Enlisted Village provides a safe, secure and dignified home for indigent surviving spouses of retired Air Force personnel, while Air Force Villages provides retirement living for military officers and their spouses with priority given to retired Air Force officer widows and widowers.

The LeMay Foundation provides financial assistance to widows of Air Force retirees, officer or enlisted.

"Through the four programs, persons in need can go through their first sergeants or the Airman and Family Readiness Center to access funds that are not normally available to the masses," said Fisk.

U.S. Air Force Col. Chad Franks, 23d WG commander, stressed the priority of the AFAF is to take care of Airmen and their families.

"What's good about [the AFAF] is it's about family," said Franks. "Taking care of the 23d WG and its Airmen is what it's all about."

Fisk said he thinks highly of the AFAF and all it does for Moody, and he understands the importance of taking care of the Airmen here.

"As a person who gets paid on salary, I can't quantify the hours put in, but after seeing the impact of the AFAF, it makes it easy to give," said Fisk.

This year, the goal of the 23d WG is to raise more than $80,000 for the AFAF, which Franks is expecting better results.

"Just at Moody alone, $200,000 was raised [last year] to take care of our Air Force," said Franks. "The goal is to do even better. We have to push hard, because it's all about taking care of the Airmen here at home."

For more information, Airmen can contact their unit AFAF representatives or visit afassitancefund.org.