Airmen helping Airmen Published April 7, 2017 By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez JBER Public Affairs JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The 2017 Air Force Assistance Fund campaign is well underway and will run until May 5 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The AFAF campaign is an annual on-the-job fundraising drive among Air Force personnel for the benefit of Air Force personnel. Contributions provide financial support to four AFAF affiliates: the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force Village, the Air Force Enlisted Village and the General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation. The Air Force Aid Society provides Airmen and their families worldwide emergency financial assistance, education assistance and various base-level community-enhancement programs. The Air Force Villages support independent and assisted living needs for retired officers and their spouses, widows or widowers and family members. The Air Force Enlisted Village provides homes and financial assistance to retired enlisted members and their widows and widowers who are 55 and older. The General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation provides rent and financial assistance to widows and widowers of retirees in their homes and communities through financial grants of assistance. During the AFAF campaign, every unit will have a representative who will make contact with all active duty and retirees to solicit donations, said 1st Lt. Joseph Sebey, a 611th Air Operations Center officer. The AFAF is not the Combined Federal Campaign, explained Senior Master Sgt. Ronald Cole, 673d Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle fleet manager. Air Force Assistance Fund charities are different in that they provide services exclusively to service members, retirees, and their families. Since only active duty and retirees from the Air Force can benefit from the funds, representatives can only solicit active duty and retirees for donations; however, civilians and military members from other services can still donate, said Sebey. For calendar year 2015, more than 200 loans totaling $139,691, and 35 grants totaling $20,535 were given at JBER. The donation goal at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is $86,302 for the six-week campaign. Sebey knows firsthand the benefit AFAF charities can provide Airmen. Prior to commissioning, then-Airman 1st Class Joseph Sebey was changing duty stations. After having packed his belonging, his car broke down. “I didn’t have a lot of money in my account,” he said. “So I went to the [Military and Family Readiness Center] and told them I needed help.” Given his options, Sebey applied for an interest-free loan though the Air Force Aid Society. “They didn’t just give me money,” he said. “I had to pay it back, but it wasn’t a big chunk of money that was taken out of my account.” For more information on the AFAF campaign, visit http://www.afassistancefund.org.