Photo By Airman 1st Class Andrew Relyea | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Angelina Pollino, 177th Airmen and Family Readiness...... read more read more
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ATLANTIC CITY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, New Jersey — The 177th Fighter Wing created an environment that fostered support, resources and community connection for its Airmen, during its annual Community Assessment and Resiliency Engagement (CARE) Day, held this year at the New Jersey Air National Guard base on Sept. 27, 2024.
CARE Day aims to provide Airmen and their families with a wide range of services to promote morale, wellness and readiness. This year's event focused on academic, personal and professional growth, with a variety of vendors and organizations willing to support the 177FW community.
“The goal of CARE Day is to build a bridge between the 177th Fighter Wing and the broader community,” said Robert Luurtsema, 177FW Airmen and Family Readiness program manager and lead project manager for the event. “It’s about supporting our Airmen, and making sure they know the resources available to them both on and off base.”
Mrs. Jennifer Baldwin, 177FW director of psychological health, and Luurtsema developed the first CARE Day in 2022. Since then, it has grown into a larger program encompassing several themes each year to meet the evolving needs of the Airmen.
“Recognizing the need for our members to have access to important programs that offer services and additional resources to benefit our members is where CARE Day started and it’s evolved into what is now a day where our membership can see the resources in real time and interact with community partners,” said Baldwin.
There were many resources in attendance for CARE Day, one being the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization. Mr. Jonathan Hinker, New Jersey VFW senior vice commander, highlighted the VFW’s commitment to ensuring service members have the support they need to be mission-ready.
“We advocate for everybody,” said Hinker. “We help with food security, rent—anything someone needs to keep them mission-ready and going in a positive way to serve our country.”
Project Refit, another organization that consistently attends CARE Day, is an organization focused on supporting veterans and service members by providing spaces for veterans to decompress and share their experiences in a supportive environment. Mr. James Corbett, a representative of Project Refit, emphasized the importance of bringing veterans and Airmen together to connect and support each other.
“We’re here today to meet men and women who may need some additional resources or maybe to decompress,” said Corbett. “We want to show them that it’s okay to feel pain and work through it, and that they have a community to support them.”
CARE Day also featured local universities and community organizations offering educational resources for 177FW Airmen. Attendees explored opportunities for continuing education and training, supporting both their personal and professional growth.
The 177FW hopes to continue CARE Day in the future, as this event serves as an opportunity for 177FW Airmen to see what resources are available to them.
“We want CARE Day to keep growing and supporting our Airmen in every way possible,” said Luurtsema. “Each year, we learn something new and find ways to make the event even better. The future of CARE Day is bright, and we’re excited to continue this mission.”
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.09.2024 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 482744 |
| Location: | EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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