The Aeronautical Center’s 2016 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is past the halfway point in charitable giving and we are thankful and must congratulate the Aeronautical Center and its personnel, as we are inching toward the overall goal for this year’s campaign. The campaign will accept donations through December 15, 2016. As we enter into the holiday season, we are reminded of those less fortunate and have several opportunities to fulfill hearts, change lives, and lift our spirits in giving of not only monetary means, but of our time.
In a gracious manner, the Center Management Team (CMT) set a tone for such giving and visited a second local charitable organization on October 24, 2016. Led by Heather Walter, Foundation and Corporate Grants Manager, the team toured The Children’s Center located in Bethany, Oklahoma. Each of us was reminded of the difficult times that our neighbors, friends, and family can have when unfortunate circumstances occur. While on the tour, we were invited into the Centers’ care wards and witnessed first-hand the significance of donations in our community. The facility accepts injured and disabled children, no matter their financial situation. They offer treatment, care, facilitation, recovery and extended resources to children well past the age 18. Often times, these children can be wards of the state or are children who have been injured in traumatic events. Those kids at the Children’s Center are cared for with a standard of excellence and offered any and all resources in their recovery from traumatic health events. One example that was shared with the team was that each child is bathed daily and dressed in their own set of pajamas, no matter their condition or stage of recovery. As we looked around, there was a bustle of caregivers tending to the needs of each child, and their appreciation for our visit was visibly noticeable. One nurse expressed, “that just having us there was a delight to the children, as they were well aware of their surroundings and knew by our visit that they were not forgotten.” Upon our departure from the facility, there was a radio broadcast that announced, “a child was struck by an automobile near a school zone”; this played like a video in my mind and I was saddened by this report. Yet having just toured The Children’s Center, I was assured that our donations help tend to the needs of such children, no matter the circumstances.
For more information on The Children’s Center, please visit www.miracleshappenhere.org. Their CFC Charity no. is 26816 and their administrative costs are 5.2%.
Did you know that you can donate to the CFC online? Employee Express allows FAA employees to complete their payroll deductions online. It’s safe, quick and easy! Simply, log into your account today to complete your donation.
More information on all CFC events across the Center, including the online auction, can be found on the MMAC CFC website at http://cfc.amc.faa.gov.
Submitted by: Ronald Brasel, an Investigations Specialist in the Regulatory Investigations Branch (AMC-700); MMAC Combined Federal Campaign Co-Chair
