Between August 1 and December 15, 2016 the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) worked to inspire up to 5 million Federal Employees to donate over $45 million dollars to pre-approved, vetted 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. The CFC is the only federally run charity drive for federal government employees. Each year, it connects with these employees from September through mid-December. The idea is that by carefully organizing a once-a- year drive, Federal employees can be encouraged to support charities that provide much needed help in areas beyond the Federal Government's domain. Federal employees are given the opportunity to donate to their chosen charities either as a one-time donation or as ongoing monthly donations from their paychecks.
| Having completed the careful review process in January, 2016, African PTSD Relief (CFC # 94568) was approved in April, 2016 to join the thousands of other worthy non-profits that participate in this annual fund raising drive. The range of participating charities was from United Way, a combined drive that raises funds for thousands of other worthwhile charities in each area, to “ma” and “pa” charities like the one run by a man wishing to bring a better education to under-served African American youth. The motto of the 2016 Combined Federal Campaign drive was "Show Some Love." |  |
Participating charities are put on a list containing their name and a brief description of their services. In addition, agencies of the Federal Government invite a few charities to local events in each building or in each complex in order to inspire their employees. These charity fairs are an opportunity to encourage employees to support a variety of worthwhile causes including one’s own.
Although being a first-time participant in charity fairs, African PTSD Relief was invited to around 20 such events. Many of the charity fairs were aligned with the direct purpose of PTSD Relief, namely providing knowledge of (take out “our” - generic purpose of fairs suggested here) more rapid, inexpensive, evidence-based Post-traumatic stress disorder support. Fairs were held in office complexes for Health and Human Services (HHS), (comma) Department of Defense (DOD), (comma) as well as the Department of Justice (Bureau of Prisons). Just in these three Departments alone, we went to 14 events this fall. Highlights of these meetings include: presentation to the Surgeon General of the United States who showed interest in meeting with us and the Committee on Emotional Health; (semi-colon) presentation to the Chief Lawyer of Homeland Security; and a brief meeting with Vice-Admiral Dixon Smith. Each received a short presentation tailored to his area of interest. General reduction in PTSD was the theme presented to the Surgeon General. Reduction in PTSD as a tool to reduce the anger and violence of PTSD-based terrorism and immigrants’ PTSD was the theme for the Chief Lawyer of Homeland Security. Resilience and suicide prevention was the theme for Vice-Admiral Dixon.
At Uniformed Services University, we gave an overview of our new PTSD reduction technology to 400-500 students, faculty and staff.
There were other federal agencies not connected with health care that we visited (clipped and shortened here): US. International Trade Commission, Office of Personnel Management, Social Security Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Federal Mediation Board, CFC main office in Washington DC.
We were invited to give presentations to: 30 executives who run the Combined Federal Campaign, 300 employees at U.S. Federal Trade Commission and 50 Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board employees.
Federal employees may make a one-time donation or organize to offer a part of their monthly checks to their chosen charities.
There were other federal agencies not connected with health care that we visited (clipped and shortened here): US. International Trade Commission, Office of Personnel Management, Social Security Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Federal Mediation Board, CFC main office in Washington DC.
We were invited to give presentations to: 30 executives who run the Combined Federal Campaign, 300 employees at U.S. Federal Trade Commission and 50 Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board employees.
Federal employees may make a one-time donation or organize to offer a part of their monthly checks to their chosen charities.
Along with working to explain how our charity gives inexpensive and rapid PTSD relief to Africans and to encourage donating to help those in need, we also partnered with Maharishi Foundation and offered a $120 discount coupon to anyone coming to these fairs. The coupon would reduce the adult price of learning TM. National Capital area TM teachers, including Katie Grose (Bethesda), David Streid (Washington DC), and Jamie Grant (Alexandria and Falls Church, Virginia) joined a number of these charity fairs to encourage federal employees to support African PTSD Relief and to learn TM. In many cases, employees would know someone who had PTSD, (comma) and they wished to organize for their friends or family to come in and begin TM.
In the next few months African PTSD Relief will find out what the first year’s response was to our 20 Charity Fair presentations. We have received verbal pledges by some employees, indicating there has been support. The coming months will tell us how much in one-time donations and how much support in monthly donations we will receive. Donors may also give to a “general” category (remove comma) in which case African PTSD Relief will receive a percentage of those general donations corresponding with the percentage of funds donated to African PTSD Relief in the CFC 2016 donations year.
All thanks go out to the CFC for organizing everything so well and to the TM teachers who joined in these presentations. Thanks, too, to Dr. Keith Snail for offering his home as our home and office during many of these trips. We would also like to thank Andrew Schoenbach for donating a 2004 Mazda van to African PTSD Relief thereby greatly reducing the costs to attend meetings in the National Capital area throughout the year.
For details of presentations and meeting notes for the 2016 Charity Fairs, please go to the African PTSD Blog posts September through December 2016.
In the next few months African PTSD Relief will find out what the first year’s response was to our 20 Charity Fair presentations. We have received verbal pledges by some employees, indicating there has been support. The coming months will tell us how much in one-time donations and how much support in monthly donations we will receive. Donors may also give to a “general” category (remove comma) in which case African PTSD Relief will receive a percentage of those general donations corresponding with the percentage of funds donated to African PTSD Relief in the CFC 2016 donations year.
All thanks go out to the CFC for organizing everything so well and to the TM teachers who joined in these presentations. Thanks, too, to Dr. Keith Snail for offering his home as our home and office during many of these trips. We would also like to thank Andrew Schoenbach for donating a 2004 Mazda van to African PTSD Relief thereby greatly reducing the costs to attend meetings in the National Capital area throughout the year.
For details of presentations and meeting notes for the 2016 Charity Fairs, please go to the African PTSD Blog posts September through December 2016.
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