'Serving those who serve America'


ALTUS - The goal of the Altus Armed Services YMCA Outreach Program is to serve the junior enlisted service members and their families by making personal contact, offering programming that directly impacts the young family, and by sponsoring events that benefit them. The Armed Services YMCA has a rich history beginning in 1861 when the YMCA first sent volunteers to the encampments and battlefields of the Civil War. During this war the 15-member YMCA commission donated and delivered food, clothing, medical supplies, postage and books to soldiers. Volunteers wrote thousands of letters for soldiers. The Armed Services YMCA on Altus Air Force Base has a more recent history, for when Altus residents recognized the need for outreach to junior enlisted military members, they submitted a proposal to the Lawton branch of the Armed Services YMCA, and the Altus Armed Services YMCA office officially opened in March 2001.

This past year has been the first year as an Independent branch, with much growth and progress in the programs available at Altus AFB. Joan Wilcoxen, executive director has expanded existing programs and initiating several new ones. “Our first priority is to offer information and assistance to our new junior enlisted families here at Altus Air Force Base,” said Wilcoxen. “For many of these young people, it is the first time that they have been stationed away from their parents and extended families. They arrive here and often feel isolated and need a little help finding all the wonderful resources we have in our community. That's where we come into the picture.”

The Altus Armed Services YMCA offers programs, classes and support specific to the financial constraints experienced by the lower ranking airmen, including those with spouses and children. “I take information about the many resources offered to our junior enlisted personnel through the Family Support Center at AAFB, as well as maps of Altus and Oklahoma to the home of every family that I know is new to town. Most people are really happy to get information and a friendly visit.” Additionally, she brings brochures and information about many of our community events and resources. “Those of us who have chosen Altus as our permanent home chose it because of the many positive opportunities and values here, and through the Altus Armed Services YMCA we extend our southwest hospitality to these new folks.”

One of the most popular programs is the monthly free lunch, featuring a home cooked meal served for the enlisted military and their spouses and children. Wilcoxen said they serve lunch to more than twenty people each month, and the program is a great place to meet other young families with similar interests. The children play together while the adults enjoy a great meal, and the Armed Services YMCA volunteers do the serving and clean up. It's lots of fun, and also a great forum to spread the word about the other programs the Armed Services YMCA offers each month.

Wilcoxen said the need for an opportunity to meet new friends and to network with those they meet at the lunch bunch program led to an enlisted spouses' coffee break each month. Midway through the month, enlisted spouses gather for the hospitality of the Altus Armed Service YMCA's coffee, tea, cakes, donuts, and snacks, plus a chance for some adult conversation. The Armed Services YMCA provides and serves the refreshments plus Wilcoxen can pick up those folks without cars to get there and get back home again. AAFB Family Support Center makes the reservations for the van, and Wilcoxen provides transportation for the women and children who need it. “Our coffee break social” is just that - a break from the daily routine of tasks and chores. It's an hour where somebody else serves them, and the young women really appreciate the break. Plus, it gives us a chance to network and see what they want us to do to help enhance their quality of life while they are here. Wilcoxen is proud of the evolution of the Day Retreats from a monthly discussion about places to see in the area to the monthly trips they now provide. Some of the recent destinations have focused on places of historical significance in southwestern Oklahoma, and Native American history. They attended the buffalo auction at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, traveled to Quanah Texas to see the courthouse, old jail, Railroad Station and museum, studied the mineral deposits and gypsum as an Indian “healing dust” and as an essential ingredient in the manufacture of wallboard for homes around the world. They enjoyed a personalized tour of Quanah Parker's original “Star House”, visited Geronimo's grave and the Ft. Sill museum, saw the Copper Breaks, Texas State Park, and picnicked at the beautiful new world class facility at Quartz Mountain. In the next two months they are scheduled to see the many farms in the area featuring greyhounds, llamas, peanuts, cotton, wheat, cattle, horses, vineyards, and Christmas trees. “It's wonderful to be able to share the diverse farming information with people who are 'new to the world'”, Wilcoxen said. “They are eager to learn about our historical role in American history and the impact that our climate has on the local economy. Our man made lakes and sparse rainfall are quite different from what many people have grown up with, and they appreciate the innovative use of our land. She said she hopes the trips make for happy memories to take with them when they eventually move from Altus. Plus, she admitted that the day retreats are lots of fun. “The merchants near the downtown square have hosted our group, and really rolled out the red carpets for us. Main Street Altus presented a great history session, complete with Howard Cotner's wonderful photos of early life on the prairie. We even went upstairs in many of the historical buildings, and had a great time meeting the people who own them and work there. “

Another great program, “Washers and Dryers for Airmen” is a unique collaboration between the Altus Armed Services YMCA and the Family Support Center's Family Services at AAFB. Wilcoxen said many people in the Altus community, both on the base and in the civilian community, have donated their used, but serviceable, washers and dryers to this program to place them in the homes of young families who have no laundry facilities. Wilcoxen solicits donations for repairs, and provides the Altus Armed Services YMCA van with trailer hitch for transport of the machines. She is still actively seeking more machines, and urges people who have purchased new laundry machines to donate their old ones to help the young families. “Since we began this program, we have placed over 70 washers and dryers. That's so important when you otherwise have to take your two-year old to the Laundromat every week”, she explained.

Altus Armed Services YMCA hosts a reception for incoming First Term Airmen every month, too, where the new military members are welcomed to their first duty station in a reception with refreshments immediately following their graduation from training. The Armed Services YMCA prints a program for the graduates to serve as a memento of their success here at Altus AFB, and the “folks back home” are able to share their successes.

The Altus Armed Services YMCA activities are listed in the Family Support Center's Monthly Newsletter distributed to each household at the base, allowing everyone to know what programs the Altus Armed Services YMCA has available to benefit the junior enlisted families. “It's win-win,” Wilcoxen said. “Base leadership and their spouses have really been essential in helping our programs to blossom during these past eight months. Many of the base leaderships' wives volunteer to bring food for the programs, serve as mentors, and spread the word about the exciting programs available. The more connected we are, the more people we can reach,” Wilcoxen said.

The Altus Armed Services YMCA fund raising membership drive is hosting a Community Partner Breakfast on April 18th at 6:30 am. The program starts at 6:30 am at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post at 500 North Veterans Drive, and the public is invited to make a contribution and become a supporter of the Altus Armed Services YMCA Outreach programs. “ It benefits us all to continue this tradition of help to our youngest military members and their dependents. We are all stakeholders in American values and freedom, and we can show our appreciation for the sacrifices they make for us by supporting these programs which enhance their quality of life while they live here in our community”. To help in this effort, contact Wilcoxen at 481-6523 or 481-6761.