Armed Forces Financial Network and AFFCU donate “Thank You” gift cards to San Antonio Fisher Houses
SAN ANTONIO, TX (July 16, 2020) — The Armed Forces Financial Network (AFFN), along with on-base financial institutions at JBSA-Lackland, presented 100 “Thank You” gift cards valued at $50 each to the JBSA-Lackland Fisher House and the South Texas VA Fisher House. These gift cards presented by AFFN are a token of appreciation to the men and women in our military and their families for their service and sacrifice.
The partnership with AFFN, which includes the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) and the Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA), has proudly supported the Fisher House Foundation and individual Fisher Houses in Germany and across the United States for the last 17 years through the Matching Grant program. It has provided over $3,905,400.00 in direct support during that period. Every dollar distributed has assisted military service members, veterans and their families for care, comfort, and food while staying at a Fisher House.
Air Force Federal Credit Union (AFFCU) representatives made the presentation of the gift cards, which totaled $5,000.00, to Dwayne Hopkins (Executive Director, JBSA-Lackland Fisher House) and Erik Zielinski (Manager, South Texas VA Fisher House) on behalf of the financial institutions on JBSA-Lackland AFB.
“The gift cards are welcome support in assisting our residents at the Fisher House, especially in this time of need,” Dwayne Hopkins said. “We are very grateful to the JBSA-Lackland community, AFFN and the financial institutions who all support this program and thank them for their generosity.”
The cards can be used at any of the 1.3 million locations worldwide accepting AFFN payments including Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES). The cards function the same as debit or ATM cards, and will be distributed to military personnel by Fisher House management.
Since 2005, 20,192 military families staying at Fisher Houses worldwide have received $1,009,600.00 in DeCA Certichecks (2005, 2006) and AFFN Thank You Cards (2007-2020) from AFFN military community support programs.
“The AFFN and AFFCU gift cards provide the unmet needs for our heroes and their families when they’re experience extremely emotional and financial straining situations,” Erik Zelinski said. “This simple gift card will be a blessing to each resident staying here and we are humbled to have that continued support over the years.”
(L-R) Danny Sanchez, VP Marketing, AFFCU; Dwayne Hopkins, Executive Director, Fisher House; Devin Washington, Business Development Officer, AFFCU.
(L-R Danny Sanchez, VP Marketing, AFFCU; Erik Zelinski, Manager South Texas VA Fisher House; Devin Washington, Business Development Officer, AFFCU.
About Air Force Federal Credit Union (AFFCU)
Established in 1952 by 10 airmen on JBSA-Lackland, AFFCU has grown to serve the diverse needs of almost 55,000 members with a full array of financial services, seven financial center locations, and the strength of more than $670 million in assets. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization based in San Antonio, AFFCU is passionate about assisting the communities it serves through volunteer work, scholarships, and sponsorships. AFFCU is federally insured by NCUA and an equal opportunity lender. For more information about AFFCU, visit goaffcu.com.
About JBSA-Lackland Fisher House
Fisher House is a public-private partnership with the military that provides families living quarters and support when coping with specialized medical situations. The JBSA-Lackland Fisher House is a home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill or Injured patients receiving treatment at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center. For more details, visit www.fisherhouseinc.org.
About South Texas VA Fisher House
The South Texas VA Fisher House provides a “home away from home” for military families of whose loved ones are receiving treatment at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS). STVHCS is comprised of two inpatient campuses: the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio and the Kerrville VA Hospital in Kerrville, Texas. In addition to the two major facilities, STVHCS operates several outpatient clinics in Victoria, Texas and throughout the San Antonio area which serves 96,000 unique patients. The STVCHS is also the home of one of five Level 1 Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers that provides state of the art rehabilitation care to veterans and service members with multiple traumatic injuries.
About AFFN
AFFN is an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Network founded in 1985, co-owned by and on behalf of DCUC and AMBA, servicing over 357 defense credit unions and military banks, 93 million cardholders, at over 800,000 ATMs and over 2.3 million merchant/retail locations globally. To learn more about AFFN, please visit www.affn.org.
