TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. —
The vacations have been made a bit brighter for army households at Tinker Air Drive Base.
Troopers Want, a non-profit primarily based in Tulsa, supplied to repay the layaway balances in full for 17 army households on the Base Trade.
The 17 households have been stunned with the information throughout an occasion December 20, 2023 on the Essential Trade Meals Court docket.
Thomas and Jessica Chapman have been among the many gifted layaway buy. It couldn’t of got here at a greater time for the couple and their two younger kids.
After I obtained the decision, (the worker) was like ‘you’ve got received a sweepstake,'” mentioned Jessica. “I advised myself I did not enter a sweepstake, what’s she speaking about? She requested if I might come to the bottom the subsequent day.
“It feels unimaginable, it’s a aid lifted off folks,” mentioned Thomas. “After they put one thing in place to organize for his or her youngsters and somebody says, ‘it is all paid for,’ it’s a stunning feeling.”
The Chapman household has lived in Oklahoma for 3 years and have all the time made it a precedence to provide again the place they will.
“We delight ourselves on giving again to the group, it is a stunning feeling to have it given again,” mentioned Thomas.
72nd Air Base Wing Deputy Commander, Col. Hardy T. Giles II, Tinker Air Drive Base Trade Basic Supervisor, Charles Eaves, and Troopers Want Government Director, Debra Wimpee, have been in attendance for the announcement.
Wimpee says the very best a part of her group is working to assist meet unmet wants of the army.
“They weren’t anticipating it and the very best a part of it,” mentioned Wimpee. “Instances are robust proper now so we freed up some earnings that can be utilized in different methods. That’s the better part. That’s the pleasure of the entire thing to see them mild up each time they heard the information.”
“We’re extremely blessed and actually appreciative for them doing this for households who simply can’t outright pay for stuff like that,” mentioned Jessica.
Since 1895, the Army & Air Drive Trade Service (Trade) has gone the place Troopers, Airmen, Guardians and their households go to enhance the standard of their lives by offering valued items and companies at unique army pricing. The Trade is the 54th-largest retailer in the US.
