HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UT -- Though Santa's not due for another week, the jolly man got some help from the Airmen of the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings delivering presents early Dec. 17 to the children placed in foster care throughout the northern region of Utah.
Mindy Lundgreen is the northern region Retention Specialist for the Utah Foster Care Foundation and she says this is the second year both fighter wings have helped distribute more than 500 holiday gifts to local foster homes. "(Senior Master Sgt.) Matt Matysik implemented the program last year and we hope that it will become an annual tradition," Ms. Lundgreen said.
Sergeant Matysik works in the 419th Maintenance Squadron and he had sent out an e-mail to 388th and 419th Fighter Wings to ask for volunteers to help distribute gifts on the morning of Dec. 17. "I got 45 volunteers in less than a week of sending that email," he said.
Most foster families take in foster children as a labor of love and they "unfortunately do not get reimbursed the entire cost of a child placed in their care," Ms. Lundgreen said. The project, called the Christmas Giving Tree project by UFCF, allows children placed in foster care to make three Christmas wishes of $30 or less and the wishes are written on tree ornaments. The ornaments are distributed to local businesses and community members who fulfill those wishes, and once the gifts are collected by UFCF, the Airmen of the 419th and 388th Fighter Wings help deliver the gifts while the children are at school, hence keeping a low profile as Santa's helpers. Jill Risau of the Hill AFB Airman Leadership school and her team also fulfilled many of the children's wishes and donated more than $400 to this cause.
Having military personnel help with the Christmas Giving Tree project seemed like a natural fit for the UFCF employees.
"The military personnel are dear to Americans for the way that they, on a large scale, serve our country," Ms. Lundgreen said. "When they take their services to the community level, sacrificing their vacation time and gas money, it really shows that they care and support the foster families and the children they serve."
"I enjoy helping the kids out," Senior Airman Chris Lehmon of the 419th Fighter Wing said about why he volunteered to help the UFCF this year. "There are not too many times we can help out kids because most volunteer efforts are usually for adults."
"This year the response has been marvelous!" Ms. Lungreen said. "Because of the generosity of the community, children will experience the joy of receiving that special gift on Christmas morning and foster parents will feel supported. Not everyone can be a foster parent, but we all can do something, and those who have contributed to this project have."