Miami Valley Combined Federal Campaign Fund drive volunteers are vital to success of workplace giving effort

  • Published
  • By Amy Rollins
  • Skywrighter Staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  With life busy at work and home, it can be hard to find the energy and time to volunteer. Fortunately for the Miami Valley Combined Federal Campaign, there are plenty of people at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base committed to giving their time and talents to raise awareness of the annual workplace giving effort.

Four of them discuss why they support the CFC, including Pam Borradaile, a cashier at the base commissary; Ron Fillmore, store associate at the base commissary; Master Sgt. Sean Smith, aeromedical evacuation technician, Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, 445th Airlift Wing; and Valerie Perry, audit manager, Air Force Audit Agency.

Skywrighter: Why are you a CFC volunteer? Did you volunteer on your own, or were you "volun-told" to do so?

Fillmore (who is a Navy veteran): CFC is a wonderful organization that helps out military families. It's a worthy cause. It makes it easy to do something that helps the family out.

Smith: We have a great platform as military members, to endorse a lot of those people who volunteer and serve the community around us. As we volunteer, we facilitate that. ... This is a great snapshot of the military in the community and all these people coming together to endorse and enrich those people who are taking the time out of their day and their lives to help. I did volunteer.

Skywrighter: What do you enjoy about being a CFC volunteer?

Fillmore: CFC is something I'd never done before, and it's easy to do when you have a director who supports us ... and the employees themselves have been very supportive. They're making our job a lot easier than I expected. It is hard work though, but with all the support, it's worthwhile.

Skywrighter: What are some of the activities in which you've been engaged?

Borradaile: I had no experience with this and I didn't volunteer -- I was "volun-told," but I told Ron (Fillmore), "If we're going to do it, let's do a good job." The first day out when I was trying to get donations, I wasn't very successful, but then I ran into someone who works on fundraisers all the time, and she gave me some tips. I ended up with 68 gift certificates to give away as prizes for our donors. I went from thinking that maybe what I had done wasn't good enough to being confident. The events we held for the commissary employees, with everything that people donated, ended up being amazing.

Perry: Last week, we held a cutest pet contest. It was a huge hit. People submitted a photo of their pet, and then it was a dollar a vote. We raised so much money. At the end, people were sliding money in so they could win. The winner got use of a supervisor's parking spot for a week. Our supervisor and leadership are awesome and very supportive. A spot for a week is a big deal -- parking can be tight.

Skywrighter: Do you have any tips on being a CFC volunteer?

Perry: In our office, we have a chair and a co-chair. Whoever is the co-chair the previous year becomes the chair. They gain experience and see how things are done so there's continuity. I was the co-chair last year and now am the chair. It works out well.

Also, we had some new charities visit our office, and during the week before they visited, we collected items they could take back with them. It brought our office together. We've also made sack lunches for another organization so they could take those with them for people.

Skywrighter: Why is being a volunteer important?

Smith: Volunteering is spiritually and emotionally satisfying. Particularly for CFC, we're empowering other people; we're trying to funnel some of our wealth, whether it be information or funds or support. When you see the difference CFC makes within the community, within the organizations and the people, it's very satisfying. That's the reward for me -- knowing that we're making someone's or something's day a little bit brighter.

Borradaile: I am amazed by some of the issues and challenges customers who come into the commissary have. It makes you feel good that you're able to help these people.

Fillmore: Being a volunteer is personally gratifying. It makes you feel wonderful. I've known commissary employees who benefited from CFC and I didn't realize the impact that it has on people's lives. They made me aware of it. Without CFC, they might have had additional troubles.

The CFC fund drive ends Nov. 20. It is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charitable giving campaign  since its inception in 1961. Department of Defense, federal and U.S. Postal Service personnel have contributed more than $7 billion to nearly 24,000 non-profit organizations.

To pledge online through Nov. 20, go to www.miamivalleycfc.org.