Air Force Assistance Fund campaign begins Feb. 16

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  The Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign runs Feb. 16 to May 7, asking airmen to contribute to any of four Air Force-related charities.

The charities benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired Air Force people, surviving spouses and families. This is the 31st year of the fund drive. Charities receive 100 percent of designated contributions.

"Requests for assistance have continued at record levels since Sept. 11, 2001,” said retired Lt. Gen. Mike McGinty, Air Force Aid Society chief executive officer. “Last year the Air Force Aid Society helped 30,000 airmen with (more than) $22.6 million in assistance. That's a lot of help. Contributions are vital for the society to sustain this kind of help. It is truly an airmen-helping-airmen program."

The secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force recently announced a $5.2 million goal. In 2003, Air Force people gave $5.9 million to the fund.

People can contribute through cash, check, money order or payroll deduction to:

-- The Air Force Aid Society, the official charitable organization of the Air Force which provides airmen and their families with worldwide emergency financial assistance, education assistance and an array of base level community-enhancement programs. Base family support centers have full details on programs and eligibility requirements. Information is also available online at www.afas.org.

-- The Air Force Enlisted Villages in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., near Eglin Air Force Base, which provides rent subsidy and other support to indigent widows and widowers of retired enlisted people 55 and older. More information is available at www.afenlistedwidows.org.

-- The Air Force Village Indigent Widow's Fund, a life-care community in San Antonio 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 indigent widows and widowers of officers and enlisted people in their own homes and communities. The LeMay Foundation Web site is www.lemayfoundation.org.

Contributions to the AFAF are tax deductible. For more information, visit http://afassistancefund.org or the Air Force Personnel Center's voting and fund-raising Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/votefund.

Installation project officers have information on local procedures and goals. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service)