Wing members spread good will to local families, community

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  In the holiday spirit of “good will towards all men” several 512th Airlift Wing members donated funds, coats and food to fellow Airmen and community organizations to help individuals in need this season. 

The 512th AW Top 3 and 512th AW Company Grade Officers’ Council sponsored a coat drive, and the 512th Mission Support Group hosted their 8th Annual Bowl-A-Thon to raise funds for wing members who need assistance this year. 

“The warmth that our 512th members show for fellow members of our unit and the local community is overwhelming,” said Chief Master Sgt. Caroline Vennell, 512th AW Command Chief. 

The CGOC and Top 3 ensured several wing and community members had a warm holiday. The CGOC rounded up eight coats which were donated to designated 512th members, and the Top 3 donated 80 coats to the Shepherd’s Place, Inc. This organization provides relief to families and individuals who experience economic distress. The Dover facility also provides free short-term emergency shelter for homeless individuals in Kent County. The institution also assists residents with finding employment, affordable housing, determining eligibility for government benefits and financial counseling. 

In addition to keeping people warm, the Top 3 ensured people in need were fed by donating several cases of canned goods to Shepherd’s Place and a local food bank. 

The giving didn’t stop there either. On Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to noon, eight wing members gathered at the Eagle’s Lanes Bowling Center for the MSG Bowl-A-Thon and raised money for a good cause. Last year, the tournament raised $1,000, said Margaret Whitman, 512th MSG and the Bowl-A-Thon’s founder. 

Mary Kokoszka, 512th AW Education and Training formal schools program manager, was on a team that raised $50. 

“Master Sgt. Cornell Jolley, with the 512th Civil Engineer Squadron, told me about the event and asked me to participate,” she said. “I thought it was a wonderful idea. We need to help our own this time of year. 

Although she isn’t an expert bowler, Ms. Kokoszka said it was a great way to spend her lunch hour. 

“I’m the worst bowler,” she said. “I’m lucky if I break 60; so, I was elated with my high score of 85. It was a fun way to help fellow wing members.”