Relief kits help families of deployed service members during COVID-19 pandemic

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.  — Nearly 150 families received relief kits April 2 at Travis Air Force Base, California, as part of the base Airman and Family Readiness Center’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The kits consisted of two meals, personal hygiene items and activities for children. They were made in conjunction with the Cost of Courage Foundation, a San Jose-based nonprofit that supports veterans, service members and their families.

 

Teneika McKoy, A&FRC community readiness specialist, said the obstacles created by the pandemic underscores the importance for people to help each other.

 

“It’s a challenging time; a time to get together as a community,” she said. “We’re going to be OK. We’ve just got to look out for each other.”

 

In order to maintain physical distancing, the kits were provided via a drive-thru in the A&FRC parking lot.

 

McKoy said the kits were primarily given to families with deployed service members. Families with a service member at high medical risk for the virus received kits as well. In order to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus, some kits were delivered to families, McKoy said.

 

“We want to lessen the burden on them,” she said.

 

The kits were assembled during the weekend of March 28-29. Food items featured taco kits or macaroni dishes. Hygiene products included shampoo, conditioner, hand sanitizer, body wash and, for some recipients, wipes. The kits also included jump rope, chalk, coloring books and notepads.

 

The deliveries were a relief to families, said Jannet Rodriguez, 60th Security Forces Squadron unit program coordinator and the unit’s key spouse. She said two families she knew had three sons and one deployed spouse, so each was “really happy that there was this resource available.”

 

“I’ve got messages on my phone, and they were so grateful for it,” she said. “For both of them — spouses are deployed, both working and they have to juggle everything with the boys, I think they were really grateful.”

 

Rodriguez, a veteran whose spouse was deployed last year, said she relates to the difficulties families are facing during the pandemic.

 

“Our deployed families are kind of feeling it a little more,” she said. “I’ve been a key spouse for about a year now, and I’ve never come across as many resources as there are now (due to the pandemic). I’m definitely grateful that communities and organizations are coming together.”

 

McKoy said the Cost of Courage Foundation typically makes a donation to food pantries, but provided this donation instead to help families at this time.

 

McKoy also said she’s leading an effort to pair service members with veterans and older members of the community who can do grocery shopping for them during the pandemic. She encouraged those interested in helping to contact her via email at teneika.mckoy1@us.af.mil or reach out to the A&FRC Facebook page.

 

Note: The appearance of non-Department of Defense organizations in this story does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.