Volunteers aid Airman's Attic

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ashley Skillman
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Every week members of the RAF Lakenheath community come together to aid fellow Airmen in a time of need by volunteering at their local airman's attic.

The RAF Lakenheath Airman's Attic, a facility open to Airmen of all ranks, consists of free household goods to include dishes, clothing, toys and furniture that are donated by other servicemembers.

The Lakenheath Airman's Attic serves more than 4,800 individuals per year, and that wouldn't be possible without the dedication of volunteers who help maintain it.

"The airman's attic is run solely by volunteers," said Dawn Michalek, the coordinator for the airman's attic. "We have no funding whatsoever. Without volunteers, we'd be closed."

On Feb. 20, the attic received loads of help when the RAF Lakenheath Company Grade Officer Council visited.

Approximately 10 members of the CGOC volunteered more than 40 combined hours to overhaul of the attic, test functionality of materials, sort recyclable clothing and properly dispose of outdated uniforms.

Mrs. Michalek explained that this type of assistance from volunteers is critical to maintaining the program.

"Typically, it's just me and another volunteer doing this one Saturday a month for about six hours, and we usually can't get all the stuff done that we'd like," she said. "Having the CGOC here today helps me out a lot."

Reasons for assisting Mrs. Michalek and volunteering at the airman's attic varied from volunteer to volunteer, but each had one underlining theme: giving back to the community.

Second Lt. Chris Figueroa, member of the CGOC and 48th LRS Vehicle Management acting flight commander, shared his reason.

"I find enjoyment in giving back to the community," he said. "I come from simple upbringings, so places like this were common for my family and me when I was a young boy. This is kind of like my way of giving back to the community and doing a good thing."

As Lieutenant Figueroa sorted through the many articles of men's clothing to determine what was serviceable, he used an old adage to explain why he found joy in volunteering specifically at the airman's attic.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure," said Lieutenant Figueroa with a smile.

For more information about volunteering at the airman's attic, call 226-2140.