Our Charity - The Families of the Men and Women of the North Carolina National Guard North Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund Throughout the State of North Carolina, Army and Air Guardsmen are called to mobilization duty for our country, for state duty for natural disasters, and other required duties. In the absence of their Soldier or Airman, families are dealing with the challenging issues of day-to-day life. Their concerns are many, and sometimes they need assistance. The Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund provides emergency aid to our Guard families in financial crisis. Like other families, sometimes our Soldiers and Airmen suffer job loss, illness, unexpected expenses, or disasters which place them in financial need. Our Fund helps them through difficult times – in 2008, we provided more than $90,000 to Army Guard and Air Guard families. Since 2004, the SAAF has processed over 650 applications and I would like to share with you three of the most recent cases to show you how the donations are being used: A Soldier came home on his two week leave from Iraq. Three days after he departed to go back to Iraq, his wife became ill and had to have an emergency operation. They have three young children, two with special needs. They had no family in NC and the National Guard Family Support coordinator contacted our office and said they needed some financial assistance in flying her mother from out of state to NC to help care for the children while the mother recuperated. Within two hours, I was able to send them a check for the flight to NC and back home for the mother. A Soldier that was wounded in Iraq had to go to Walter Reed Hospital for an emergency operation and his wife of course went with him. She had to leave her job with no pay for two weeks and with the loss of income they were going to have problems paying some bills. His unit contacted our office and said they needed some assistance with the bills. Within one day we were able to send them the funds. One of our Air Guard families had a child that was hurt in a bicycle accident and the mother had to pay in advance on a costly dental bill. Since her husband had deployed, she had to stay out for work for three weeks with the child. Being on a limited income, the money she used was intended to pay end of the month bills. Family Support contacted us and we were able to pay several of their bills for them. Today, the North Carolina National Guard has over 4,000 Soldiers and Airmen deployed. They have our respect, admiration and gratitude for what they do. They are our friends, our neighbors and our co-workers. But one thing we cannot do is forget their families who are with us. They sacrifice, in some ways, more than that deployed Soldier or Airmen. When they need assistance, we have the moral responsibility to ask “can we help”? We live in the greatest nation on earth, but the reason we do is because of the sacrifices these men and women, and their families give. If you can help the Soldiers and Airmen Fund by donating, it is greatly appreciated and I promise you your donation will be used to help one of our Guard families. Whether you decide to donate or not, do me a favor. If you see a person in the military, take the time to say hello and thank them for what they do for us. If you know of someone in your neighborhood that is deployed, stop by their home one day and say “hello” and ask “is there anything I can help you with”. I am positive that family will appreciate your kind gesture. For more information about the Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund, contact Mr. Dennis Roach, Executive Director, at 919 851-3390, extension 3, toll-free in NC 800-621-6159, extension 3, or at ncngsaaf@bellsouth.net. How did the Fund Start? Chaplain Col. Aubrey McLellan was a chaplain for the North Carolina National Guard and served nearly 40 years in uniform before retiring following the 1991 Gulf War. One of his last acts as a soldier was to create what was then called "The Chaplain's Fund" designed to benefit the families of deployed service members. Today, he continues to lend his name and support to this worthy effort. He and his wife live near High Point, N.C. A Note from the Organizers: Donation History 2008 Event - $1300 2009 Event - $1300 Given all that the members of the North Carolina National Guard give....Given that they are there whenever we need them....Let's be there for them when they need us.