Combined Federal Campaign Cause of the Week: Public Safety Published Nov. 20, 2020 By Amy Rollins Skywrighter Staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the official workplace giving campaign of the federal government, allowing federal employees and retirees to pledge monetary support and volunteer time to approved charities. This year’s campaign runs from Sept. 21 to Jan. 15, 2021, under the theme of “Show Some Love: Be the Face of Change.” Federal workers can contribute to any of the thousands of participating charities by visiting the online pledge portal at https://GiveCFC.org. Public Safety: Disaster Relief, First Responders, Family Violence Shelters and Services, Legal Aid/Crime Prevention, Transitional Services “The class of citizens who provide at once their own food and their own raiment, may be viewed as the most truly independent and happy.” — James Madison Public safety in its truest form means allowing citizens to carry out their day to day lives without worrying about threats to their safely or well-being — whether it be from natural disasters, lack of resources or violence in the community. Natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanos, wildfires, droughts and more, kill on average 90,000 people per year, and affect more than 160,000 million worldwide. Disasters, civil unrest and other disruptions to normal life result in immediate and long-term effects on physical and mental health, financial security and overall well-being. The chief development officer of a local hunger relief network provider said safety-related charities carry a heavy burden during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. “More local residents than ever need support — emergency food assistance and bill pay assistance; housing support charities have been, and will remain to be, incredibly busy responding to the needs of families during this time, she said. “Support of these charities, through CFC, will be put immediately to use providing critical, and often life-saving, support to families across our region.” Specifically for emergency food assistance, one in every six residents in the Dayton community will not have dinner tonight, she said. “Hunger remains a real, serious and growing problem in the Miami Valley,” the development officer said. More public safety issues In the U.S. only 50 percent of adults have more than $700 set aside for emergencies. Few American families have adequate supplies (first aid kits, flashlights, blankets, clothing, medicine, prescriptions) in their emergency supply kits. Globally, more than 785 million people lack safe drinking water, including 144 million people who rely on surface water as their drinking supply. It is estimated that half of the globe will be living in water-stressed areas, by 2025. Public safety efforts include the need to protect adequate, necessary resources for all. Donations through the CFC help supply lifesaving equipment to public safety providers and provide education programs to help keep communities safe. How to help It’s easy to make an immediate impact through supporting CFC and supporting safety-related charities, the development officer said. “Just a few dollars can make a difference — helping a family put food on the table tonight or ensuring that a senior has heat in their home tonight makes all the difference to those directly impacted,” she commented. Volunteer opportunities can be found and contributions to CFC can be made by visiting https://GiveCFC.org and in particular this week, https://ohiocfc.givecfc.org/public-safety.