# Making a positive impact

/ Published Jan. 25, 2019

You can still “Show Some Love” and make a positive impact by donating to help those in need. The Office of Personnel Management has extended the 2018 Combined Federal Campaign until Feb. 15.

Since the Defense Logistics Agency CFC Kick-off Ceremony held on Oct. 22, the agency has raised $239,371 or 79.8 percent of the $300,000 goal and DLA Energy employees are doing their part to make a difference.

Lorraine Blanchard, DLA Energy management program analyst, knows firsthand how her participation in the program is helping. She has supported various CFC charities for 20 years, but two charities have remained the same, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Red Cross.

St. Jude was founded by actor entertainer Danny Thomas in 1960 in Memphis, Tennessee. His goal was to serve children with cancer through research and medical care at no cost to the family. 

“No family should have to endure the pain of seeing their child suffer with cancer and then worry about how they will pay the bill,” Blanchard said. “Children are our future and my love for children inspires me to continue giving to this charity because of the great support they provide to the family and most of all the children. It makes you appreciate having healthy children and grandchildren.”

The CFC charities depend on our donations to keep doing great work, she added.

“Our generosity, whether it is our personal time or money, make someone’s life better and that’s what makes our country great,” Blanchard said. “It makes me feel good knowing my contribution is helping in some way.”

Markeith Spell, DLA Energy internal review evaluator, was also inspired to lend a helping hand and has been donating to the CFC for more than 10 years. He contributes to two organizations – H2O for Life and Alzheimer’s Disease Research.

He said H2O for Life caught his attention because it not only provides a service learning opportunity for schools in the United States to help teachers and students raise awareness about the global water crisis but also takes action to provide funds for a water, sanitation and hygiene education project for a partner school in the developing world.

“Water is an important necessity in life and so many underdeveloped countries go without it. I want to do my part in helping provide resources,” Spell said.

Another important charity near and dear to Spell’s heart is the Alzheimer’s Disease Research program. 

“My mother-in-law passed away to the disease which devastated my family,” he said. “I wanted to contribute to the cause for further research and awareness about the disease.”

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. An irreversible degeneration of the brain that causes disruptions in memory, cognition, personality and other functions that eventually leads to death from complete brain failure.

Since 1985, the Alzheimer's Disease Research program has awarded nearly $120 million to support promising research in fields ranging from molecular biology to genetics to epidemiology. The program is currently supporting nearly 100 outstanding biomedical research projects.

Spell said he felt inspired by a famous Winston S. Churchill quote: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Take action now to “Show Some Love” and provide a campaign pledge or volunteer your time. To make a donation or pledge online, visit https://cfcgiving.opm.gov/ to create a CFC account and profile.