Soldiers & Airmen Assistance Fund (SAAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and was established in 2004 with the mission of providing financial support to Army and Air Guard families coping with unusual or unpreventable hardships. The SAAF is the only nonprofit organization in N.C. that provides financial assistance solely to the families of the North Carolina National Guard. Our funding for the program comes from individual and business donations. We do not receive any assistance from the state or federal government to operate nor are we a part of any government-funded compensation program. Since 2004, the SAAF has provided $1.2 million dollars in support to over 1,200 Guard families. These citizen soldiers and airmen are part of a long line of those Americans and North Carolinians who have been willing to lay aside their civilian careers and leave their families when called by their state and nation. Over 20,000 N.C. Army and Air Guardsmen have deployed since 2001 and they have certainly earned our support. We are truly grateful for their service to our country and thankful for their sacrifices so we may maintain our freedom and way of life.