AFAF focuses on benefits Published March 18, 2016 By Nick DeCicco 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- While the Air Force Assistance Fund campaign happens annually, Travis Air Force Base, California, this year's coordinators hope to show how it helps Airmen. Capt. Qaashuntae Wright, 60th Inpatient Squadron and an AFAF coordinator, said the drive's four affiliate charities do things, of which people are not even aware, to help Airmen and their families. Among these is the Air Force Aid Society funding child care for families that recently permanently changed station or the "Bundles for Babies" baskets provided at the Airman and Family Readiness Center course for expecting parents. "A lot of people say, 'I have never used it,' when, in actuality" - her voice lowers to a whisper - "Everybody uses it." Wright said the aid society as well as the other affiliates do many things people just don't know. Before taking a larger role in AFAF, Wright, who previously served as a "key worker" getting out the word and soliciting donations for the program, said she didn't know the full scope of the benefits. "When I was on the ground level of this campaign years before, a lot of people were like, 'What does it do for me?'" she said. "So I really want to educate people on each of the affiliations, especially the Air Force Aid Society." Senior Master Sgt. Israel Pinero, 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and an AFAF coordinator, said part of this approach is to show Airmen how their donations help, even if they themselves don't reap the benefits. "What we want to push is (being) wingmen, Airman helping Airman," Pinero said. "Just because (someone doesn't) qualify doesn't mean it won't help somebody." Pinero said the aid society provides "falcon loans," which are loans of as much as $750 for emergency needs such as basic living expenses, including rent, food, emergency travel or vehicle repair. "They also have all these different types of help people use daily they don't even associate with Air Force Aid Society," Pinero said. "There's a lot of things that people just didn't know and it wasn't articulated." The four affiliations are the Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation, LeMay Foundation, Air Force Enlisted Village and the aforementioned Air Force Aid Society. The aid society helps families in times of need. In 2015, the society provided help in more than 15,000 emergencies totaling more than $8.1 million, according to the official AFAF website. The Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation cares for retired officers' widowed spouses who need financial assistance. The LeMay Foundation, named for the late Gen. Curtis LeMay and his wife, awards grants to the surviving spouses of retirees. The Enlisted Village helps provide safe homes for spouses of retirees. "The Air Force Aid Society is the one we benefit most from as active-duty members," Wright said. "I just want people to be well-informed. ... Information is our No. 1 priority." This year's campaign kicks off March 18 with a breakfast that is exclusively for leadership. Wright said this breakfast has been open in the past, but they are hoping the information will spider out from leaders to supervisors and key workers then down to Airmen. The campaign begins in earnest March 21 and runs through April 29. For more information, visit www.afassistancefund.org.