AFAF helps Airmen, families in times of need

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Luke Milano
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  All Airmen face difficult times at some point in their lives. Fortunately they have the support of foundations which are made possible by donations from their fellow Airmen.

The Air Force Assistance Fund is unique because it is an annual fundraiser specifically for charities that support members of the Air Force family, including active duty, retirees and dependents.

The AFAF supports four charities: Air Force Aid Society, Air Force Enlisted Village, Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation and LeMay Foundation. These organizations provide support in case of an emergency, as well as secure retirement homes for widows of Air Force members.

“You never think you’re going to need [assistance] until that day comes,” said Tech. Sgt. Stephen Sanabria, 100th Civil Engineering Squadron assistant chief of operations, explaining how he realized the significance following his own experience in August 2011.

“It was a Friday afternoon when I received a phone call from my brother. He was hysterical because my twin sister had just passed away,” said Sanabria.

“We were trying to figure out how much the funeral would cost. I was a staff sergeant at the time and just had a newborn baby, so money was tight for my brother, my parents and me,” he said.

Sanabria and his family realized they couldn’t afford to pay for his sister’s funeral, and feeling worried, he called the AFAS to apply for an emergency loan.

“They immediately asked me how much money I needed to pay for it,” he said.

“The AFAF made it completely hassle-free. The day I called them, I was able to send them my emergency leave orders,” Sanabria continued. “By the next day I had a check waiting for me at a local Red Cross.”

Sanabria’s story is similar to that of many other Airmen who have been assisted by the Air Force Assistance Fund, as Chief Master Sgt. Corey J. Miller, 100th Security Forces Squadron manager, faced a similar financial strain and reached out to the AFAF for help.

“I was going through a separation with my ex-wife, and had to move out of my apartment,” said Miller. “She kept the checkbook, and used the credit cards to incur large amounts of debt.”

He explained that this was in 2003, so the checks and balances of electronic monitoring were not in place.
“I lived in Izmir, Turkey, and had utility bills and an apartment rental payment to make. I didn’t know what to do,” Miller added.

In desperation, he turned to the AFAF.

“My supervisor at the time told me to go to the family support center and ask about a loan,” said Miller.

“The Air Force Aid Society gave me a small loan to cover my bills so that I could get my finances together. Every year since, I have donated $15 a month to the AFAF,” Miller adds. “For me, it goes beyond charity. It was a personal, financial savior.”

According to www.AFassistancefund.org, in 2015 the Air Force Aid Society supported Airmen and Airmen families from RAF Mildenhall with $101,107 through emergency assistance loans, grants, community programs and educations program grants and loans.

“It goes beyond the wingman concept,” said Sanabria. “I consider that love. For you to give up money to help someone else out, when you don’t know who you are helping.”

For more information, or to donate to AFAF, contact your unit representative.