The Air Force Assistance Fund Campaign Drive with Jennifer Matthews, Alicia Lara, VaTema M. Ivy & Bill D’Avanzo

Jennifer Matthews, Alicia Lara, VaTema M. Ivy & Bill D’Avanzo, join the Airmen Helping Airmen Podcast with Latoya Crowe to talk about the annual campaign, its impact, and its duration.

Key facts

AFAF’s Facebook
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AFAF's Website
William A. D'Avanzo is the Human Resources Program Manager at U.S. Air Force, and for over thirteen years, has been the USAF Fundraising Chief for the Air Force Assistance Fund Campaign. VaTema M. Ivy has served in the Air Force and is the Director of Development for the Air Force Enlisted Village. She has been with the organization since 2014 in a variety of roles. Jennifer Z. Berg Matthews is the Director of Development at the Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation/Blue Skies of Texas and has worked with the organization since 2019. Alicia Lara is the Executive Assistant at The General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation and has worked with the organization since 2013.
This year, they’ve all come to organize a celebration of 80 years providing critical help and service to the Air Force and now Space Force community. The yearly AFAF campaign is underway and runs from March 7 through May 13, 2022.

Key takeaways

Our motto is ‘For Airman and Guardians, By Airman and Guardians’, and that's precisely what we do.
The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) supports and assists Airmen, Guardians, and their families by providing emergency financial assistance on-base community programs, educational support, and disaster relief.
Beneficiaries of AFAS support include active duty Air Force/Space Force members and their spouses, guard and reserve members, retirees, and dependent family members.
The Air Force Enlisted Village (AFEV) provides homes to surviving spouses/widows of retired enlisted Air Force members. They also offer service to the entire Air Force family by providing housing to mothers of active duty and retired members.
The Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation (AFVCF) is also known as the Air Force Village. Renamed Blue Skies of Texas, the retirement community aims to care for widowed spouses of retired Air Force officers.
The LeMay Foundation assists widows of Air Force members during active duty and throughout retirement.
“They're really people that are at the most critical stage of care in their lives, and so we want to make sure that we're treating them with dignity and doing what's needed for them.”
Support service members who are making sacrifices daily.
“Taking care of our own is a mantra that we have. It's not just on the battlefield—it's taking care of our own in all matters.”

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Quotes

“‘For us, By us’ is something that everybody knows. Taking care of our own is a mantra that we have. It's not just on the battlefield—it's taking care of our own in all matters.”

“...It's an investment in your future and the future of all your neighbors that you know and love.”

“...Remember that today you might be donating, but tomorrow you could be calling. So pay it forward.”

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Previous guests include:Errol Doebler, John Osarczuk of FirstCommand , Jared Metcalfe, Rich Diviney, Ginger Miller, Thomas Connally, Kara Taylor, Kathleen McMahon, Jennifer Pasquale Dr. Geri Lynn Maples, Haley McClain Hill, Amanda Huffman, Lizann Lightfoot, Tom Landwermeyer, Diane Rauch, Kim Nahom, Kristen Christy, Jai Salters, The AFAF Campaign, Shermaine Perry-Knights and Lacey Langford.

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