The Foreign Service Journal, January 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY 2012 57 AFSA NEWS Merit Judge Volunteers Wanted AFSA is looking for members in the D.C. area to judge the high school seniors’ academic or art appli- cations for AFSA’s Merit Awards. Judging will take place in February or March. You should be comfort- able with a computer and have ten to 15 hours over a two-week period to serve. Judging of art submis- sions will take place in early February, followed by academic judging in early March. An orientation session on how to use the online scoring system is offered. A final panel meeting at AFSA will be scheduled to select winners and finalists. For more information, please contact Lori Dec, AFSA scholar- ship director, at dec@afsa.org or (202) 944-5504. NEWS BRIEF More than twenty years ago a small group of compassion- ate and farsighted Foreign Service officers founded the Senior Living Founda- tion of the American Foreign Service. Its objective was at once simple and profound: to support retired members of the Foreign Service and their spouses, including those divorced and separated, who had become unable to man- age the financial, physical and mental challenges of life during their later years. From this modest beginning, the SLF has built a proud tradition of “taking care of our own.” SUPPORT I NG FS RET I REES The Senior Living Foun- dation today supports the Senior Living Foundation: Supporting Retired FS Members BY PAULA S. JAKUB, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SENIOR LIVING FOUNDATION needs of many in our retired Foreign Service family. The Foundation provides over $250,000 in grants each year to help our colleagues meet their challenges. The SLF provides support for people in senior living facilities, helps with medical and prescrip- tion copayments, provides basic living expenses and transportation to medical appointments. The SLF has a wonderful social worker who provides support to our clients and both guides them and assures them that the Foundation stands ready to help. The SLF often sends care managers to our clients’ homes to evaluate their conditions so we can address all of their needs. The SLF keeps each case confidential to uphold the privacy and dignity of our retired col- leagues. MAK I NG A D I F FERENCE The SLF Board of Direc- tors is devoted to making a difference for our retired colleagues. The Board is also committed to positioning the Foundation so that it can support retirees in the future who face trouble as a result of changed retirement plans or a troubled economy. YOUR SUPPORT MAKES I T HAPPEN The Senior Living Foun- dation can only accomplish its mission thanks to your support. The SLF receives hundreds of donations each year from the larger Foreign Service family. The SLF is a 501(c)(3) charitable orga- nization. Donations can be made by check, money order, Combined Federal Campaign (#40530) or credit card via our Web site at www.SLFoun- dation.org. The SLF has also greatly benefitted from colleagues by Bequests or Charitable Remainder Trusts. Donations to the SLF are proof that today’s officers and retirees are committed to our prede- cessors, peers and friends who face challenges after their honorable service to our nation. The Senior Living Founda- tion needs your sustained support. Our colleagues and their families served our country with you. They now need your support to cope with life’s changes with peace of mind, dignity and security. That is the definition of “tak- ing care of our own.” n Nominate a Deserving Colleague for an AFSA Dissent Award For more than 40 years AFSA has sponsored the Dissent Award program to recognize and encourage constructive dissent and risk-taking in the Foreign Service. This is unique within the U.S. Government. Four awards are offered: The F. Allen “Tex” Harris the W. Averell Harriman Award, the William R. Rivkin Award and the Christian A. Herter Award. Deadline for the 2013 Dissent Awards is Feb. 28. For more information or questions, please contact Perri Green, AFSA Coordinator for Special Awards and Outreach, at green@afsa.org or (202) 719- 9700. NEWS BRIEF