JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Staff Sgt. Stacey Barker's story is one of thousands of positive encounters between Airmen and the Air Force Aid Society. The mother of four, assigned to the Air Force District of Washington, ran into a rough financial patch. She needed funds to bridge the yawning chasm between the last paycheck and the next.
AFAF stepped in, as it has countless times before, with an interest-free loan. The total number was small, but the impact on the Barker family was huge. They made it through without resorting to high-interest credit cards, or cutting out necessities like nutritious food and transportation to work.
Watch Sergeant Baker's testimony on the AFDW Facebook Page.
The Air Force Assistance Fund campaign is built around numbers, but each of those numbers is representative of the care we show for our fellow Airmen. Air Force District of Washington commander Maj. Gen. Darren McDew announced that with a donation of $1.06 per month from every AFDW Airman, we can exceed our goal. It's important to remember that while many Airmen draw from the charities, taking a shared responsibility of funding the campaign is one way to ensure that every Airman will have access to these funds when their time comes.
For Tech. Sgt. Yolanda Heyward, 11th Comptroller Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge, the need for Aid Society assistance came like a thief in the night. A criminal hacked her bank account and drained her assets before she knew what happened. While the bank worked to recoup her funds, AFAF stepped in to help Sergeant Heyward avoid going into high-interest debt.
Watch Sergeant Heyward's testimony on the AFDW Facebook page.
These aren't traditional stories of heroism in the face of enemy fire, but AFAF does help people avoid seeing red in their bank account, or feeling red-faced embarrassment at not being able to afford life's necessities, despite putting in long hours and being top-notch Airmen. The campaign has a very real effect on Airmen, their families, and the work environment for civilians who call Airmen their peers. This impact is based on the posting of numbers that reach an organization's stated goals. Right now, we're short.
At 35 percent, AFDW as a whole has been able to take down more than a third of its $74,760 AFAF pledge.
We need more participation. We need more people to see past the numbers and hear the stories of the Airmen who have been directly helped right here on base.
Next week, we'll focus on the amount of money Joint Base Andrews Airmen and AFDW Airmen have received in the past from the AFAF and three other charities benefitting from this drive. We'll also hear about the experiences key workers have had while working to build relationships with AFDW's generous Airmen.