AFAF set to begin at Kadena Published March 12, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Rey Ramon 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Kadena personnel will have the opportunity to provide assistance to their fellow Airmen through the Air Force Assistance Fund drive which begins March 16. "The donations we receive are important because this is the only campaign we use to collect money that goes directly to Air Force personnel," said Senior Master Sgt. Peter Benjamin, 18th Component Maintenance Squadron, 18th Wing AFAF representative. This is a great opportunity for us to take care of our military family, he added. Kadena has surpassed the base's AFAF goal the past three years in a row. Team Kadena donated $188,000 in 2008 to the four charities under AFAF, exceeding the $106,000 goal and received $378,000 back from the campaign. "This year's goal for Kadena is $109,201," said the Sergeant Benjamin, "and it is imperative for our representatives to inform people through face-to-face contact of the benefits of this program." Joe Catahay, 18th Force Support Squadron community readiness consultant said the AFAF is a major contributor to the Air Force Aid Society, which works hand in hand with Airman and Family Readiness Center here to make the programs available to servicemembers and their families. Last year, Air Force Aid Society programs at Kadena received $136,000 as a result of AFAF, which enabled funding for spouse tuition assistance, interest-free loans, bundles for babies, phone cards for deployed members, oil changes for spouses of deployed members, and "Give Parents a Break," among others. The Air Force Aid Society is one of four charities that Airmen can direct their contributions to when filling out their AFAF forms. The others are: - The Air Force Village Foundation, which provides a home and financial assistance for spouses of retired Air Force officers - The Gen. and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, which helps widows of all Air Force retirees through financial grants. - The Air Force Enlisted Village Foundation, which provides a place to live and financial assistance for surviving spouses of Air Force enlisted members. Airmen should contact their unit representative to contribute to the AFAF campaign. The campaign runs until April 26.