10.16.19 – Weekly Scoop

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

 

Annual Fall Board Meeting – Hurst, Texas

The 2019 APFA Fall Board of Directors Meeting continues today at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hurst, TX. All members in good standing are welcome to attend the open portions of this meeting.

Here is the Final Agenda for the meeting.

Snowball Express Returns in December

Since 2006, the mission of Snowball Express has been to provide hope and new happy memories to the children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since 9/11. The event will be held in Orlando, Florida this year and will run from December 7 through December 11.

Snowball Express brings children together over 750 children of the fallen and their surviving parent/guardian to the Walt Disney World Resort for an experience filled with fun activities, like sporting events, dances, amusement park rides and more.

Parents of children of the fallen often say that their child is reserved, withdrawn or unwilling to talk about their loss. Participating in Snowball Express changes that, making each child feel special and giving them an opportunity to share their feelings about losing something so precious, their parent.

There will be a total of 13 volunteer charter flights that need to be operated by Flight Attendants. Once again there is no pay or credit provided for the Snowball Express flights. More information will be provided in the upcoming weeks on how to sign-up for this amazing opportunity.

 

Early Detection is Crucial for Many Types of Cancer

As we enter the middle of October, we would be remiss to address Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  American Airlines in partnership with the Susan G. Komen foundation has raised $36 million to fight breast cancer and helped fund research.

We would like to address not only breast cancer as this affects one in eight women, but we would like to broaden our focus to also address other cancers. Pancreatic cancer has become the third leading cause of death for cancer patients. It is estimated that 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year and more than 200,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer. No matter what type of cancer you or a loved one may be diagnosed with, it is never easy.  As an aging workforce, we are survivors of divorce, death, many critical incidents that we have been through and we are survivors of different types of diseases.

When cancer affects you, it affects everyone around you.  The initial diagnosis, the treatment and learning to live in remission is a hard journey for yourself and your entire family or support system. Emotionally this is a very devastating time to try to sort out medical expenses and medical leaves in conjunction with physically enduring treatment.  People with cancer may feel stressed and overwhelmed.  It is normal to feel afraid, angry, or depressed.  Cancer treatments can also cause them to have trouble concentrating or remembering things.

When you feel you need to reach out or if you would like to assist a loved one:

• Be sensitive to your loved one’s feelings and encourage him or her to talk about them with you and other family members and friends.
• Encourage your loved one to join a support group.
• Help your loved one stay as active as possible. Physical activity has been linked to lower rates of depression, as well as lower rates of recurrence of certain kinds of cancer among survivors.
• Feel free to call our EAP Department or Health Department to talk with and find appropriate and affordable mental health and social support services.

APFA EAP at (817) 540-0108 ext. 8701
APFA HEALTH at (817) 540-0108 ext. 8290
WINGS FOUNDATION: wingsfoundation.com
AMERICAN FAMILY FUND: aafamilyfund.org
OPTUM EAP (800) 363-7190

PAC Member of the Month – Justin Patterson – October 2019

Justin is based in ORD and has been flying 6 years. He also serves APFA as a Base Council Rep at ORD. Thank you, Justin, for your commitment to the APFA Government Affairs Department and the APFA PAC. See what Justin has to say about the APFA PAC:

The APFA Political Action Committee (PAC) is comprised of small voluntary donations from APFA members to support political candidates and members of Congress who impact our job. Dues money is never used. Our PAC contributes to both Democrats and Republicans who advocate for broad issues and regulations that advance air travel safety and the Flight Attendant profession.

Elections matter! Now is the time to start building our PAC for 2020 so please join today. A contribution of as little as $1 or $2 per paycheck will add up to have a major impact. Remember, our strength is in our numbers.

Join the PAC today!

More Information on the APFA PAC

 

Set Your Clocks!! 2020 Benefit Enrollment opens on Oct. 21- Nov. 1

You should have received information in the mail regarding 2020 Benefit Enrollment and details for your Healthcare Coverage. If you did not receive the Benefit Plans pamphlet information or need more details, visit my.aa.com or call the Benefit Service Center at 888-860-6178.

Don’t forget your Wellness Rewards for 2019!

Earn up to $250 for yourself & $250 for your covered spouse! Your rewards go into HSA or Health Reimbursement Account depending on your medical option.

You have until Oct. 31, 2019 to earn your 2019 Wellness Rewards! Go to my.aa.com for details.

Will I Be Eligible For Annual Enrollment While Out On IOD?