CFC season is here again – see how you can change a life

Lt. Gen. Russell J. Handy, left, commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Northern Command; commander, Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and commander, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Region, North American Aerospace Defense Command, and Maj. Gen. Bryan Owens, commander of U.S. Army Alaska, make donations to the Combined Federal Campaign at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Wednesday. The CFC, which provides opportunities for federal employees to give to charities of their choice, is the largest and most successful workplace giving campaign in the world. (U.S. Air Force photo/Alejandro Pena)

CFC season is here again - see how you can change a life

Published Oct. 1, 2015
By Staff Report
JBER Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- This time each year, service members and civilian employees on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have the opportunity to donate to their favorite charities or select new ones through the Alaska Combined Federal Campaign, which begins Monday.

This year, the Alaska CFC theme is "You can change a life." Since 1961, when President John F. Kennedy established the campaign with an executive order, the drive has collected more than $7 billion in charitable donations, according to the organization's website.

CFC is the federal government's authorized charity drive - the only time troops and civilians should be solicited for donations to private organizations and charities with the exception of a few, like Army Emergency Relief, Air Force Assistance Fund, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.

In 2014, JBER gave $216,592.16 through CFC, said Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Fuselier, the JBER CFC co-chair.

This year's goal is $260,000 by the campaign's end Nov. 20, though organizers are hoping to surpass that amount.

Assisting Fuselier as co-chair is Sgt. 1st Class Amanda Frisbee, the U.S. Army Alaska CFC coordinator.

The goal of unit or department keyworkers is to make contact with individuals in their workplace and provide booklets listing the charities, the pledge cards, and
assistance.

Federal employees can make contributions in cash, a check or through payroll allotments. Military members can create monthly allotments; civilian employees'
allotments are spread over 26 pay periods.

There is no need to wait to be approached by a CFC representative; donors can view a list of local, national and international charities online at www.alaskacfc.org and sign up directly.

When registering, don't stop at Air Force or Army; scroll down to JBER-Elmendorf or JBER-Richardson to find your unit. Registering online also allows use of a credit card to donate.

To see how "you can change a life," visit the organization's Web site or seek out your unit keyworker for assistance.