Top Story>>Responsibility for giving

by Lt. Col. Jeffrey Collins
19th Services Squadron commander

I was little when Dad broke his leg and couldn’t work at the factory for a few months. Each week, someone stopped by with an envelope with some money to help with bills. It turns out my dad had been contributing a few dollars from each paycheck to an informal “emergency” collection fund at the factory – he’d never needed it, until he needed it.

The Air Force Assistance Fund is the same way. You don’t know when you’re going to need assistance. As a commander, I’ve seen example after example of AFAF helping our Airmen get through tough times. Of course AFAF never asks whether or not the individual needing help contributed to AFAF – they just help the Airmen. But I wonder if the individuals who receive the aid would feel better if they had contributed beforehand?

I’ve challenged 100% of my squadron to contribute something, anything, to AFAF this year. Getting in the habit of giving makes giving easier. It also brings a positive self-image. Even small contributions add up to big help for those in need.

Your contributions help support programs for all Airmen. The free childcare Services Squadron provides for deployed spouses, the give-parents-a-break childcare program and the permanent change of station childcare are all funded by the AFAF. Likewise, the extended duty care program – to take care of children during base exercises and real world deployments – is supported by your AFAF contributions.

My dad was never one to take help easily and I know he didn’t look forward to the arrival of the weekly envelope – he just wanted to get back to work. He could feel good, however, knowing that he had already done his part for others in a similar situation. And he contributed to that informal fund for years at that factory after he got back to work.

I hope all is well with you right now. I also hope you take the opportunity to contribute to the AFAF so that if you do need their help someday, you will feel better about taking the help.