Youth Center, first shirts provide food baskets

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Airz. --  As 2008 heads into the final act, it must be close to Thanksgiving, which means many of us will be enjoying good food and fellowship with family and friends. 

However, not all families have the resources to have the Thanksgiving they would like to have, but help is on the way. The youth center's Keystone Club, Torch Club and Operation Warm Heart managed by the Luke Air Force Base First Sergeant's Council, will provide holiday food baskets to Luke Air Force Base families. The baskets will include a variety of canned foods and dried goods plus a turkey. 

Nearly 200 families received food baskets in 2007, according to Sheryl Bush, teen program coordinator here. 

"People on base donate everything from canned vegetables to stuffing and the first sergeants procure the turkeys and arrange for the boxes to be delivered," said Ms. Bush. "We are also grateful to the commissary because the management there arranges with vendors to donate food." 

However, with the economic stressors families are faced with, there is a potential for the number of families receiving food baskets to dramatically increase this year, according to Senior Master Sgt. Wendy Brazier, 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron first sergeant. 

"We are expecting to deliver 300 food boxes this year," she said. "I am happy to say that 300 turkeys have been obligated as donations to our families. It is gratifying to see the generosity of people on and off base that make this project so successful. 

The process of identifying families is done by supervisors informing their chain of command of the needs of Airmen, according to Sergeant Brazier. 

"It is important that these supervisors get with their respective first sergeants to add the names to the list," she said. 

Donations of canned food and dried goods are being accepted until Nov. 14. Anyone with food to donate can drop it off at the youth center, library, child development center, squadron break rooms or the base chapel. 

For more information call Sheryl Bush at (623) 856-7470 or Senior Master Sgt. Wendy Brazier at (623) 856-7262.