The Offutt Airmen’s Attic…Now OPEN! Published June 19, 2012 OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Open to all active duty military ranks E-6 and below, the Offutt Airman's Attic offers young Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines and their immediate families a place to pick up household items, clothes and toys for children free of charge. Servicemen and women just starting out in their military careers should appreciate what the attic has to offer. Often times, a new member of Team Offutt will show up and sign for a home only to find out that their household goods shipment can't be delivered for another week. In other more devastating scenarios, house fires or floods can leave our military empty handed. Through these perfect storms, the Airmen's Attic is prepared to help! This is a 100% volunteer run, non-profit program with direct oversight provided by the Offutt First Sergeant's Council. Last year alone we helped more than 2,000 Offutt families. Hopefully we can exceed that number in 2012! Donations from the public are accepted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While we appreciate any and all donations, we ask that all donated items are items worth having. Donations should be serviceable and clean, and either slightly used or like-new items. If the items donated are missing parts, broken or just plain garbage, they will be discarded immediately. The servicemen who receive these items are not poor, they just don't always have the funds to make ends meet by purchasing new furniture or other household items. Many young military families start out with nothing, barely make ends meet with each paycheck, and cannot afford nicer amenities in their homes. By coming to the Airman's Attic, they receive the items they need to reduce financial stress and provide a better lifestyle for their families. Lately, there has been an increase in the amount of unusable donations which increases the burden on the volunteers who donate their time to keep the doors open. Unacceptable items include: · Dirty, torn, badly stained or worn clothes, shoes, stuffed animals and linens · Infant and child car seats, or baby cribs with drop down sides · Broken, dirty or unsafe toys · Broken or chipped house wares and knick knacks · Unsanitary or rusty kitchen items · Undergarments, unless they are new and still have their store tags · Games or puzzles with missing pieces · Books with ripped or worn pages/covers · Flammables such as paint, gasoline cans, nail polish, etc. · Food items · Computers and printers · Other items at the discretion of the Airman's Attic manager or volunteers on duty On a more serious note, the Airmen's Attic is meant to help military members in need. Sometimes this simple concept gets abused and these items end up outside our immediate military families. Items obtained at the Airman's Attic are not to be used in home day care environments or given away to friends or extended family members. If a patron or a volunteer is found to be misusing the Airman's Attic or found selling items from the Airman's Attic, the patron or volunteer will be banned from using the Airman's Attic for one year. We are now located in the old wood shop in Building D with main doors on the southeast side at Entrance 4 off Tiger Drive. Our hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 - 4 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. We will be closed on all ACC down days and federal holidays. The First Sergeant's Council would like to thank the 55th Mission Support Group for the new facility and their many hours helping us. This transition could not have been made possible without the help of over 100 volunteers from around the base and community...thank you all! In addition, thanks to Bob Shrimpton, Nichelle Powers, Christine Tate and Jodi Howell for your years and years of dedication to the Attic. For additional questions about donating items or volunteering at the Offutt Airmen's Attic, please call (402) 294-3318.