Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
Armed Forces Community Foundation on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 254
We bring Veterans Day into sharp focus by showing how local giving meets real military needs through the Armed Forces Community Foundation. Kevin West walks us through 31 partner groups, the dollar-for-dollar Veterans Day Match, and the simple ways to donate online or in person.
• What the AFCF does and how it partners locally
• Operation Santa Claus support for junior enlisted families
• Central Kansas Military Community Foundation emergency aid
• Flint Hills Veterans Coalition parade and ceremony role
• Wamego Honor Flight impact and recent trip
• Society of the First Infantry Division scholarships and gift cards
• Why the Veterans Day Match doubles impact up to $100,000
• Where to donate in person during the parade
• How to give online via standtomatchday.com and QR codes
“Standtomatchday.com. That is standtomatchday.com.”
“Also the website is armedforcescf.org.”
“We will be set up in person down by City Hall in conjunction with the Veterans Day Parade.”
Philanthropy today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode, we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMCF Community Hour, as heard on News Radio KMAN. And we are back with the GMCF Community Hour here on News Radio KMAN. We are approaching Veterans Day. And uh boy, we've got a lot of things to talk about with that activity as we had did just last week. But we are going to be focusing more today on Community Foundation. And joining us back at our studio in Manhattan is Kevin West, who is president of the AFCF. Kevin, good morning, sir. Good morning, Dave. Good to talk to you again. Yeah, yeah. We just talked the other night. You know that Christine Benigal celebrated a birthday.
SPEAKER_00:And it was a big one, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_01:It was a big one. And uh so we had a chance to visit briefly there. Always good to talk to you, sir. Um, and thanks for coming on. I know that uh with Veterans Day coming up, there's a lot of things that are going on with the parade and the ceremony. But with the AFCF, you've got your own things in the works. But let's talk first about what the Armed Forces Community Foundation is and what you do.
SPEAKER_00:Well, Dave, so we've been around now since 2018, and we focus, um, we've we're an affiliate of the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, and we have a number of individual organizations. We have 31 uh this year that support the military community uh in different ways. Um we have groups that will help military members and veterans, uh, family members uh through donations and ideas, time, financial resources, uh, they help make connections throughout the community. Um and we're a group that's overseen by Board of Trustees, and most of us are veterans ourselves, but we also have family members and community partners. Um and I like to think that we are a great way for the community if they want to support the military community. That if you come through the Armed Forces Community Foundation, you will find something that you think is worthy of either your time or your resources.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, what with the foundation? You've got a number of different organizations that are involved, and I don't even know what the number is, but you know, all of them have a purpose, and that is to serve the men and the women that serve, their spouses, their families, and uh, and you know, those that work on uh, you know, in civilian status as well. So let's get a little um peek at some of the organizations that that you have that you will that you work with.
SPEAKER_00:So overall this year we have 31 uh that are part of our match day. And uh a few of them, you know, I like to think of them as some of our favorites uh because they have a lot of impact uh directly on the military community. Umperation Santa Claus, uh Phil Maddox has been involved with them for years, and they work out at the fort. Uh, we're at the time of year they start collecting, they've been collecting toys, they're buying toys, they're setting up their workshop, uh, and they provide gifts uh for children of junior NCOs and junior enlisted uh soldiers, airmen. We have airmen in the area, even some sailors uh in the grades of E5 and below. I they'll give toys out for free to children of those families, and they do family gifts as well. Um we have another organization, uh Central Kansas Military Community Foundation. And I like to look at them as kind of the organization of a last resort for a lot of the uh service members who are having financial difficulties. Um we have Army Emergency Relief, but there are limits on what they can do. Red Cross and USO are out, they're able to help in different ways. There are limits on what they can do. Um, and where the Central Kansas Military Foundation has really come through. Um, you know, if there's a limit on emergency leave on financing, but you have a soldier who's got a family member overseas and they need to go back for a funeral, this group has been able to help. Um there's just a lot of things that they can do, and they're led by a team of very experienced uh community members, military members, and they provide a lot of help. Uh, we have the Flint Hills Veterans Coalition, and they will be front and center next week on Veterans Day. Uh, they're the organization that puts on the parade, uh, puts on the ceremony afterwards. Another group that I like, and I like them all, uh, but the Wamigo Honor Flight. Uh, they they do great stuff. I think they had another one here recently. We're connected with VMware. Yeah, they just had one last week. Right. Uh, you know, what perfect time. And then they're going to clearly have some need. Uh, Society of the First Infantry Division uh works out of uh you know national organization. Uh they provide support to our soldiers and families, they help with scholarships. Um they've been providing uh commissary gift cards, and that's especially kind of an issue, normally this time of year with the holidays, but even potentially more so this year with some of the financial uncertainty that our service members are going through at the moment.
SPEAKER_01:Kevin West is our guest. He's president of the Armed Forces Community Foundation here on the GMCF Community Hour. Now, let's talk a little bit about um, you know, making contributions. So many or already are giving to, you know, any number of the 31 organizations that that that are under the AFCF umbrella. But why should they um give money now?
SPEAKER_00:Well, this is once again our match day. So we're not part of the Grow Green match day. We have our own and we always do it on Veterans Day. And this year we have once again been blessed uh to have the Patterson Family Foundation uh commit up to$100,000 uh in matching funds. So for every dollar given on the match day, which is Veterans Day, we will get one dollar back up to$100,000 uh from them. So this is an opportunity to maximize your contribution, um, support the organization you want to support, and help grow the armed forces community foundation's overall uh overall budget where we're able to provide more and more assistance.
SPEAKER_01:And you know, just some of the details, you know, you have your your match day on Tuesday. Where will you be set up?
SPEAKER_00:So we will be set up in person uh down by City Hall uh in conjunction with the Veterans Day Parade. Uh we'll have a booth there. You can make contributions in person. We take cash, we take check, you can do it by credit card, we will be there. Also, we will be live online all day from uh one minute after midnight until midnight uh on the night of the 11th. And if you want to uh make a donation online, uh you can go to standtomatchday.com. That is standtomatchday.com, and you make uh can make an online contribution. Uh you can do it that way. Uh you can contact Christine at GMCF if you have cash or check donation that you would like to get to them. Uh we will make it as easy as possible uh to get your funds to us.
SPEAKER_01:And also the website is armedforcescf.org. Or you know, you can just you'll find a few there at chaos.org as well.
SPEAKER_00:You can, yeah, many many ways to get the link in there. Um if you go on a mobile device, you can click the QR code, scan the QR code, and you can do it that way.
SPEAKER_01:Man, you guys are up to date, aren't you?
SPEAKER_00:We try it as 2025.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there we go. Hey, Kevin West, thank you for joining us here this morning on the GMCF Community R. I'll see you Tuesday, all right? Okay, I look forward to it. Take care. Yeah, appreciate all the work you do. Um now as a retired uh uh soldier and uh family of the big red one. So so good stuff there. Thank you. Coming up in the next segment, Light MHK. We've got three guests that are going to be joining us in the studio today. We'll visit with Jill Jacoby, Deanna Nitschke, and Jamie Elliott. Light MHK coming up next on the GMCF Community Hour here on News Radio K M A N.