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AREA Maintains Original Goals, Expands Scope since
formed in 1975
The AAFES Retired Employees Association (AREA) is a worldwide
organization for AAFES retirees. As well known to retirees by its
acronym, AREA, as AAFES is to active duty associates, the retiree
organization was first formed back in 1975 in Dallas by a group of
AAFES retirees. Their purpose was to continue the friendships and
associations that had been made during their AAFES careers. Today,
AREA and its 25 chapters have 4,300 members in the United States.
The purpose of AREA and its chapters is threefold: (1) To foster
communication and social activities between retired Army & Air Force
Exchange Service employees; (2) To support the interests of AAFES,
its employees and the people it serves; and (3) To promote the
interests of Association members.
While the activities of local chapters, quarterly Newsletters and
membership directories continue the original intent of maintaining
old friendships, AREA has grown significantly since it was founded.
One of our most important activities is helping to protect the
retiree benefit. While AAFES does an excellent job of enhancing and
protecting the retiree benefit, AREA's members represent a
significant force that can generate letters and phone calls to our
representatives in Congress to protect our own benefits from
unsettling proposals.
The AREA scholarship program
is a long-standing AREA activity. We've provided scholarships to the
children of AAFES employees for many years, having contributed a
total of $346,295.00 to further their education. The amount of the
fund continues to grow each year, and we awarded 22 scholarships in
2008 for $46,500.
Click
here for a listing of scholarship awards since
program initiation.
One of our newer activities, Emergency
Relief, provides financial assistance to AAFES associates
and their families devastated by disasters such as fire, tornadoes,
hurricanes and floods. It was initiated several years ago when it
was concluded that AAFES could not legally provide the service. AREA
stepped in and assumed the responsibility for providing a depository
for donations collected from AAFES associates and retirees, as well
as from sources outside AAFES. Shortly after the program was set up,
AREA was asked to activate the AREA Emergency Relief Fund in support
of the AAFES associates at Seymour Johnson AFB after Hurricane Floyd
devastated the East Coast in 1999. AAFES associates and AREA members
contributed more than $39,500 for the Pentagon Victims Fund
following the attacks of September 11, 2001. In September, 2005,
AREA members and supporters contributed $59,845.87 to the AAFES
Associates at Keesler AFB who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
AREA's 25 local chapters set their own dues, and meet several
times a year for lunch, dinner, trips, picnics, and other social and
charitable activities. They seek to maintain current friendships and
make new ones while adding new dimensions to their retirement.
If you're not an AREA member now, you can join the
National
Organization online.
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