Operation Warm Heart brings comfort to base community

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kelly White
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  Help in hard times is something many Americans struggling to make ends meet would be grateful to have.

Within the Misawa Air Base community, an operation is underway to bring relief to those among its population in similar situations.

"Operation Warm Heart is here for those who have a need," said Master Sgt. David Gilbert, 35th Maintenance Operations Squadron first sergeant. "We will try to assist with that need, regardless of service affiliation."

OWH is run by Misawa's First Sergeants' Council and its purpose is to provide, from the donations it receives, monetary or material support for the morale and welfare of in-need military members and families in the base community.

"Our ability to help comes from the generosity of all Misawa population to include individual donations or organizational donations," explained Sergeant Gilbert.

Recently, the Misawa Officers' Spouses Club donated $5,500 to the OWH cause.

"The MOSC has been the number-one organizational contributor to OWH," Sergeant Gilbert said. "They have been there for us and words cannot express our gratitude for their continued support."

It's their organization's shared desire to care for all Misawa families that MOSC president, Laura Breau, said is the driving force behind the level of support her organization commits to OWH.

"The MOSC donates money on an 'all you have to do is ask' basis," Mrs. Breau said. "And I believe OWH asked for $2,000.

"So, we took the request into consideration," she explained. "Looking at records of what we gave in the past, and what we had available from thrift shop and bazaar proceeds, we knew we could give more."

With OWH being an organization that supports Air Force, Navy and Army, the MOSC decided the more they gave, the better they could help support Misawa's diverse community.

Two other significant ways in which OWH gains donations to dole out to the base community come from the base chapel and from people who live and work here.

"Christmas in July is our biggest fundraiser of the year," Sergeant Gilbert said. "OWH with volunteers collect donations at the BX to support our cause.

"Also, when we started serving single and unaccompanied meals, the base chapel eagerly jumped on board to support the monthly event," he added.

The base Protestant Parish collected more than $1,500 for OWH the last week of October, and the first week of November, the Catholic Parish will collect money to support OWH initiatives.

In addition to serving meals to single and unaccompanied members, other OWH initiatives include supporting the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony with cookies, hot chocolate and candy canes. During wing exercises, OWH first sergeants travel around and offer cookies, hot chocolate, drinks and hot dogs to exercise players while also making sure to do a morale and welfare check on them.

Be it home-cooked meals over the holidays, car troubles or tending to a family emergency, a member just needs to let his first sergeant know help is needed, Sergeant Gilbert said.

Once all other assistance agencies are exhausted - Red Cross, Air Force Aid, etc. - OWH helps take care of what's left.

"For instance, if someone has to take out an AFA loan so they can fly home to the states to take care of a problem, obviously they're not going to have money to take a whole family of four," he said. "AFA will cover the cost of the air fare, and we'll cover the cost of other traveling expenses - meals, taxis, lodging."

The most important thing for people to remember about OWH is that it's dedicated solely to individuals in the Misawa community, Sergeant Gilbert said. "All donations we receive go 100-percent right back into the community through the help we offer."