FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- The Airman and Family Readiness Center is here to help each and every person associated with military life. They are here to walk beside you as you journey through life.
The team at the AFRC is able to prepare, guide, and meet your needs and doing so from a whole person point of view. As you walk through the glass doors of the AFRC, you will be welcomed and able to meet with a team member. Once in the privacy of his or her office, you begin to establish a partnership based on meeting your needs and your family needs. Maybe your spouse would like to volunteer or find employment, upon engaging in that conversation your spouse discovers he/she would enjoy learning about investing or budgeting your family's money. Additionally, your spouse may be informed of free childcare available during a PCS move, or the vast array of deployment programs available.

The AFRC has positively impacted many lives. One such story involves a young couple Kim and Nick Waggle, whose journey has been one of determination. When Kim was 8 1/2 months pregnant, she was in a severe car accident causing her son to be born with Cerebral Palsy. When Kim, 17, and Nick, 20, arrived at Fairchild in 2007, they had many of the same common questions and concerns as other newcomers. Additionally, they were faced with caring for a special needs infant, Kim was emotionally recovering for the trauma of the accident, and they were a young couple trying to get their bearings. When Nick heard about the AFRC he brought Kim in to meet the staff and see the different options available. During her visit at the AFRC, Kim realized they were not alone.

"When we got here we didn't have any dishes. We had nothing," Kim said. "They took me through the tour and explained what they did."

One of the first stops along the Airman Family Readiness Center journey was the Airman's Attic; a place that provided the Waggles a vacuum, dishes, some household furniture and even clothes. The Airman's Attic is staffed mainly by volunteers and is donation driven. The revolving door of life suggests you may find yourself donating an item and leaving with a different one. Kim and Nick were also able to benefit from the Financial Readiness program. Being armed with the tools and knowledge needed to successfully budget for a family of three on a young Airman's salary is invaluable.

Additionally, the AFRC was able to help Kim get Respite Care for her three year old son for four hours a day. Before the Respite Care, Kim was trying to attend school and do homework with her son by her side. Now Kim able to attend school and is getting her High School Diploma.