103rd Airlift Wing hosts Connecticut Combined Federal Campaign kick-off

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Emmanuel Santiago
  • 103rd Airlift Wing, Public Affairs
BRADLEY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE - East Granby, Conn. --  "Give a little, help a lot," is this year's theme for the Combined Federal Campaign. The CFC, an organization introduced by the Kennedy administration, is the sole mechanism through which charitable organizations are authorized to solicit donations from federal employees. Every year each charitable organization has to go through an intense evaluation in order to be affiliated with the CFC, making the CFC a secure method for making a contribution.

Members who attended this year's kickoff event at the Bradley Air National Guard Base were greeted by volunteers and spokesmen of local organizations that hope to receive support for their activities. The founder of Dances With Wood, a project that uses creative arts to inspire young children who are hospitalized with serious illnesses, displayed the woodworking kits that he provides to children's hospitals. Also present was a volunteer from the Plainville Community Food Pantry of Plainville, Connecticut. The pantry collects, stores and distributes food to help those in need. These are just two of many charitable organizations affiliated with CFC not just locally, but across the country. Through CFC, these organizations are able to solicit information such as their operating margins and in-depth descriptions of where exactly your contribution is going.

Not only is CFC the most secure way to continue to contribute to your preferred charity, but it is also the most convenient method. Donors are able to set up pay plans such as small donations throughout the course of the year having the donations extracted directly from their payroll. Whether it's one dollar a day, or five, any contribution helps.

Tech. Sgt. Erin Rivera, 103rd Air Operations Group, was able to identify an organization with no operating costs.

"It's a wonderful opportunity; it feels good to know that my contribution will go straight to aiding people."