Commitment to caring

  • Published
  • By Airman Kimberly Limrick
  • Black Hills Bandit staff
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Ellsworth’s members have the opportunity to help each other through the Air Force Assistance Fund March 1 through April 14.

This year’s campaign theme is “A Commitment to Caring” and focuses on collecting contributions in support of four programs.

One of these programs benefiting from the AFAF is the Air Force Enlisted Villages in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. This charity provides rent subsidy and other support to impoverished widows and widowers of retired enlisted people ages 55 and older. More information is available at http://www.afenlistedwidows.org.

Another program benefiting from the AFAF is the Air Force Village Indigent Widow’s Fund in San Antonio, a life-care community for retired officers, spouses, widows or widowers and family members. The Air Force Village Web site is http://www.airforcevillages.com.

A third program benefiting from the AFAF is the General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Found-ation, which provides rent and financial assistance to impoverished widows and widowers of officers and enlisted people in their own homes and communities. The LeMay Foundation Web site is http://www.lemayfoundation.org.

The fourth program benefiting from the AFAF is the Air Force Aid Society. AFAS has been the official charity of the United States Air Force for 64 years. It promotes the Air Force mission by providing worldwide emergency assistance to Air Force members and their families, sponsoring educational assistance programs and offering a variety of base community enhancement programs that impact members’ and their families’ welfare.

The Air Force Aid Society helped more than 30,000 Air Force members and their families with more than $21.6 million in assistance in 2005.

The majority of this assistance was in interest-free loans and grants for short-term or one-time emergencies such as food, rent, utilities, car repair and emergency travel requirements, including those suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said 1st Lt. John Hampel, Air Force Assistance Fund installation project officer.

With everyone’s help, Ellsworth can help more people in need as the base did last year. Ellsworth surpassed last year’s AFAF goal at 111 percent, raising $38,740 and in turn received $210,871 in assistance. Ellsworth’s goal for 2006 is $45,833. This goal is determined by what is called fair-share.

“The fair-share calculation is based on an individual’s rank and suggests a target contribution for those who would like to donate, but aren’t sure how much is appropriate,” said Lieutenant Hampel.

“The wing’s annual goal for the Air Force Assistance Fund is calculated by adding up the total fair-share estimates for military members assigned to Ellsworth and then subtracting 50 percent,” Lieutenant Hampel continued. “This means that if at least half of the personnel assigned to the base donate a fair-share contribution, then the wing will meet its goal.”

Members may contribute to the AFAF by a one time cash or check donation or by payroll deduction. Payroll deductions require a form which is available through unit AFAF points of contact and key workers, or online at the AFAF Web site, http://www.afassistancefund.org.

There will be a breakfast at Dakota’s on March 6 at 7 a.m. to kick off the fundraiser.

More information is available on the AFAF Web site and will be posted in upcoming bulletins in the Black Hills Bandit.