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.”

GMCF

CFAs

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Philanthropy today is brought to you by the Greater
Manhattan Community Foundation.
In this episode, we feature arecently broadcast segment of
the GMCF Community Hour, asheard on News Radio KMAN.
And we are back with the GMCFCommunity Hour here on News
Radio KMAN.
We are approaching Veterans Day.

(00:22):
And uh boy, we've got a lot ofthings to talk about with that
activity as we had did just lastweek.
But we are going to be focusingmore today on Community
Foundation.
And joining us back at ourstudio in Manhattan is Kevin
West, who is president of theAFCF.
Kevin, good morning, sir.
Good morning, Dave.

(00:42):
Good to talk to you again.
Yeah, yeah.
We just talked the other night.
You know that Christine Benigalcelebrated a birthday.

SPEAKER_00 (00:52):
And it was a big one, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
It was a big one.
And uh so we had a chance tovisit briefly there.
Always good to talk to you, sir.
Um, and thanks for coming on.
I know that uh with Veterans Daycoming up, there's a lot of
things that are going on withthe parade and the ceremony.
But with the AFCF, you've gotyour own things in the works.
But let's talk first about whatthe Armed Forces Community

(01:18):
Foundation is and what you do.

SPEAKER_00 (01:19):
Well, Dave, so we've been around now since 2018, and
we focus, um, we've we're anaffiliate of the Greater
Manhattan Community Foundation,and we have a number of
individual organizations.
We have 31 uh this year thatsupport the military community
uh in different ways.

(01:41):
Um we have groups that will helpmilitary members and veterans,
uh, family members uh throughdonations and ideas, time,
financial resources, uh, theyhelp make connections throughout
the community.
Um and we're a group that'soverseen by Board of Trustees,

(02:03):
and most of us are veteransourselves, but we also have
family members and communitypartners.
Um and I like to think that weare a great way for the
community if they want tosupport the military community.
That if you come through theArmed Forces Community
Foundation, you will findsomething that you think is

(02:24):
worthy of either your time oryour resources.

SPEAKER_01 (02:29):
Yeah, what with the foundation?
You've got a number of differentorganizations that are involved,
and I don't even know what thenumber is, but you know, all of
them have a purpose, and that isto serve the men and the women
that serve, their spouses, theirfamilies, 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 atsome of the organizations that

(02:53):
that you have that you will thatyou work with.

SPEAKER_00 (02:56):
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 theyhave a lot of impact uh directly
on the military community.
Umperation Santa Claus, uh PhilMaddox has been involved with

(03:17):
them for years, and they workout at the fort.
Uh, we're at the time of yearthey start collecting, they've
been collecting toys, they'rebuying toys, they're setting up
their workshop, uh, and theyprovide gifts uh for children of
junior NCOs and junior enlisteduh soldiers, airmen.

(03:39):
We have airmen in the area, evensome sailors uh in the grades of
E5 and below.
I they'll give toys out for freeto children of those families,
and they do family gifts aswell.
Um we have another organization,uh Central Kansas Military
Community Foundation.

(03:59):
And I like to look at them askind of the organization of a
last resort for a lot of the uhservice members who are having
financial difficulties.
Um we have Army EmergencyRelief, 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 theycan do.

(04:20):
Um, and where the Central KansasMilitary Foundation has really
come through.
Um, you know, if there's a limiton emergency leave on financing,
but you have a soldier who's gota family member overseas and
they need to go back for afuneral, this group has been
able to help.
Um there's just a lot of thingsthat they can do, and they're

(04:45):
led by a team of veryexperienced uh community
members, military members, andthey provide a lot of help.
Uh, we have the Flint HillsVeterans Coalition, and they
will be front and center nextweek on Veterans Day.
Uh, they're the organizationthat puts on the parade, uh,

(05:06):
puts on the ceremony afterwards.
Another group that I like, and Ilike them all, uh, but the
Wamigo Honor Flight.
Uh, they they do great stuff.
I think they had another onehere recently.
We're connected with VMware.
Yeah, they just had one lastweek.
Right.
Uh, you know, what perfect time.
And then they're going toclearly have some need.
Uh, Society of the FirstInfantry Division uh works out

(05:30):
of uh you know nationalorganization.
Uh they provide support to oursoldiers and families, they help
with scholarships.
Um they've been providing uhcommissary gift cards, and
that's especially kind of anissue, normally this time of

(05:50):
year with the holidays, but evenpotentially more so this year
with some of the financialuncertainty that our service
members are going through at themoment.

SPEAKER_01 (06:02):
Kevin West is our guest.
He's president of the ArmedForces Community Foundation here
on the GMCF Community Hour.
Now, let's talk a little bitabout um, you know, making
contributions.
So many or already are givingto, you know, any number of the
31 organizations that that thatare under the AFCF umbrella.

(06:23):
But why should they um givemoney now?

SPEAKER_00 (06:26):
Well, this is once again our match day.
So we're not part of the GrowGreen match day.
We have our own and we always doit on Veterans Day.
And this year we have once againbeen blessed uh to have the
Patterson Family Foundation uhcommit up to$100,000 uh in
matching funds.

(06:48):
So for every dollar given on thematch day, which is Veterans
Day, we will get one dollar backup to$100,000 uh from them.
So this is an opportunity tomaximize your contribution, um,
support the organization youwant to support, and help grow
the armed forces communityfoundation's overall uh overall

(07:12):
budget where we're able toprovide more and more
assistance.

SPEAKER_01 (07:18):
And you know, just some of the details, you know,
you have your your match day onTuesday.
Where will you be set up?

SPEAKER_00 (07:28):
So we will be set up in person uh down by City Hall
uh in conjunction with theVeterans Day Parade.
Uh we'll have a booth there.
You can make contributions inperson.
We take cash, we take check, youcan do it by credit card, we
will be there.
Also, we will be live online allday from uh one minute after

(07:52):
midnight until midnight uh onthe night of the 11th.
And if you want to uh make adonation online, uh you can go
to standtomatchday.com.
That is standtomatchday.com, andyou make uh can make an online
contribution.
Uh you can do it that way.
Uh you can contact Christine atGMCF if you have cash or check

(08:17):
donation that you would like toget to them.
Uh we will make it as easy aspossible uh to get your funds to
us.

SPEAKER_01 (08:28):
And also the website is armedforcescf.org.
Or you know, you can just you'llfind a few there at chaos.org as
well.

SPEAKER_00 (08:36):
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 itthat way.

SPEAKER_01 (08:48):
Man, you guys are up to date, aren't you?

SPEAKER_00 (08:51):
We try it as 2025.

SPEAKER_01 (08:55):
Yeah, there we go.
Hey, Kevin West, thank you forjoining 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 workyou do.
Um now as a retired uh uhsoldier and uh family of the big
red one.
So so good stuff there.
Thank you.

(09:15):
Coming up in the next segment,Light MHK.
We've got three guests that aregoing 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 theGMCF Community Hour here on News
Radio K M A N.