AFA Grant Supports Military Newborns at Buckley SFB

AFA’s Mile High Chapter is helping welcome new military families to Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado through its support of the Buckley Spouses Alliance’s Baby Bundle program, a volunteer-led effort serving families and their newest family members at the installation. The initiative, which provides essential items to growing families arriving at Buckley, is supported by the Mile High Chapter and AFA’s United Forces & Families program.

Each bundle contains diapers, wipes, a baby bottle, bottle cleaner, pacifiers, baby petroleum gel, and handcrafted crocheted blankets, hats, and clothing items made by volunteer seniors from the Volunteers of America. The program launched in April 2026 with an initial distribution at a Baby Bundles class hosted by the Key Support Liaisons at Buckley SFB and is ongoing as new families continue to arrive at the installation.

While the Buckley Spouses Alliance had previously provided baby baskets to families in need on an informal basis, an investment by the Mile High Chapter transformed the effort into a formal, funded, and sustainable program. The $1,000 United Forces & Families grant from AFA, matched by $500 from the Mile High Chapter under the leadership of President Cliff Klein, gave the program the foundation and momentum needed to build a lasting effort. Without that support, the program would not have reached the current level of impact.

“AFA Mile High Chapter 127 believed in this program before it had the resources to stand on its own,” said Ric Watson-Butkovich, treasurer and chairman of the Center for the Buckley Spouses Alliance. “AFA’s investment did not just fund bundles—it transformed an idea into a mission. They are the reason this program exists at the level it does today, and every family we serve through it is a testament to their belief in our community.”

Each bundle—valued at approximately $75—serves Guardians, Airmen, and their Families stationed at Buckley SFB. The 2nd Space Wing alone has identified nine families with babies expected through August 2026 who will receive bundles through the program—an early indication of ongoing demand for the program.

Baby Bundles marks the second major partnership between AFA Mile High Chapter 127 and the Buckley Spouses Alliance. The first initiative is now one of the organization’s most visible and successful initiatives, providing essential food and supply bags to more than 315 newly arrived service members and families at Buckley SFB. AFA’s early support of that program helped establish a model the Alliance now carries into other efforts, including Baby Bundles. Both programs were driven by community need, strengthened by AFA investment, and continue to serve military families with dignity and care.

The Baby Bundle program directly advances the Air & Space Forces Association’s support mission pillar by meeting the immediate needs of military families, raising awareness of financial hardship among junior enlisted families navigating new parenthood, and providing practical support that strengthens military readiness and family resilience. The Baby Bundle program is ongoing, with referrals coordinated through the Key Support Liaison network and the Military and Family Readiness Center at Buckley SFB.

The Buckley Spouses Alliance operates entirely on volunteer hours—having contributed over 6,200 hours of service since April 2024—and has served 8,740 individuals through eight programs, including food distribution, welcome bags, holiday support, emergency financial assistance, and community events at Buckley SFB.

For more information about the Buckley Spouses Alliance visit facebook.com/buckleyspousesalliance or contact buckleyspouses@buckleyspousesgroup.com.