JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- 'tis the season for giving, and there's no better feeling than giving to those in need, especially when they are part of our Reserve family. For the folks with the 514th Air Mobility Wing up at the Hurricane Sandy ravaged Joint Base McGuire, N.J. it will be a different kind of holiday season. While helping their community evacuate and survive the brutal hurricane, some lost everything to the storm.
The great thing about being a part of the military family is we always help out our brethren in times of need. Maj. Gen. Mark Kyle, 4th Air Force commander, contacted wing commanders under his command and ask them to spread the word about helping our own in New Jersey this holiday season. The General said the 514 AMW is doing a wonderful job, but more help is needed.
Let's show our fellow Reservists at the 514th how we do things here in the South, and that the 315th Airlift Wing takes care of our brothers and sisters in the Reserve family.
Within hours of the General's request, word was spreading throughout the 315th Airlift Wing. In case you didn't hear the details, here is what the 514 AMW Commander, Col. Michael Underkofler said in an e-mail:
"We are running a clothing closet and food pantry, operating it about 52 hrs per week. We have 53 wing families that we are supporting pretty substantially with food baskets (Thanksgiving, Christmas/Chanukah, and Easter/Passover) as well as allowing them to make individual food/toiletry selection on the UTAs.
"My goal for January - March is to provide additional assistance with something nice for the families so they can get away from living doubled up with their local families or get out of a damaged house. We're pushing "Dinner and a Movie" so that our affected Airmen can get escape for a few hours, go to the mall, have dinner, and take in a show before going home.
"Thanks for your offer to ask our sister wings for assistance for our Airmen," Col. Underkofler wrote.
How you can help these families:
Cash donations are funneled through an MWR account at Joint Base McGuire.
Interested donors need to make a check out to "JB MDL MWR Fund" and in the memo section write "For 514 AMW". Donations require a completed donation form (included at the bottom of this article). If a unit wants to send gift cards, a donation letter is not required.
Mail checks and cards directly to the 514th Airman and Family Readiness Office:
514 AMW/Airman and Family Readiness
2216 West Arnold Ave
JB MDL, NJ 08641
The 514 AMW/AFR director's name is Judith Pates and the Sandy Recover Team Leader is Chaplain (Maj.) Peter Souritzidis (Fr Pete). They can be reached at 609-754-8229or DSN 650-8229 and 650-3261, respectively.
All cash donations must include the following form:
(DATE)
I, ( NAME & ORGANIZATION), offer to give the following to the 514 AMW to be placed in the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Morale, Welfare and Recreation Fund (MWRF), a non-appropriated fund instrumentality of the United States Government. The donation is for military personnel and their families assigned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. It is understood this donation was unsolicited and is without restrictions and conditions assigned to its use or disposition.
Donation Description: Monetary
Number of Gifts Offered: 1
Total value of donation: (DOLLAR AMOUNT)
I certify that the value of this gift will not be charged to any government contract and all ownership rights to the gifted items will be relinquished if accepted. I also understand that neither my business nor I will receive any special favors or treatment as a result of this gift.
(DONOR SIGNATURE)