Hurry! Time is running out to buy tickets for the 2018 DSSAA Family Picnic. Our partner organization, DSSAA, is hosting a fun filled family day at Ticonderoga Farms out in Chantilly, VA on Saturday, October 27. It looks to be such a great event! Check out their website for more info dssaa.org/family-picnic. Hope to see you there!
Board Election deadline extended to Oct 30
Are you interested in serving on the Board of the Diplomatic Security Foundation (DSF)? An election will be held this October (2018) for four open board positions. The deadline to self-nominate has been extended to Tuesday, October 30. Board members must be a current, former, or retired DS employee. Board positions are voluntary. All Board members are required to be/become dues paying members of DSSAA. DSF holds elections every two years; those elected will serve a four-year term from 12/2018-12/2022. The next election will be held Fall 2020, term ending 2024. For more info, visit dsfoundation.org/board-election
Another grant goes out the door today
Usually, our grants go for more somber reasons, so we’re excited to be able to help out today in this way: $3,000 to an employee at a US Consulate in Indonesia to cover uninsured medical costs for her newborn child. We wish the new baby the speediest of recoveries.
Three New DSF Grants to: Dili, Bamako, Juba
This week, we mailed out three new grants (view all our grants on our Grants page). Thank you to everyone who supports DSF, which allows us to help those in our DS “family”
$3,000 to a local guard at US Embassy Dili, Timor-Leste, whose house was destroyed by fire
$3,500 to the family of a local guard at US Embassy Bamako, Mali who died of a heart attack
$1,000 to a local guard at US Embassy Juba, South Sudan who was severely injured by the gate at the embassy compound
US Embassy Kathmandu Charity Race
Our friends at US Embassy Kathmandu raised $250 for DSF as part of their 6th Annual DS Charity Race. Check out photos and more HERE
CFC now available to DS Retirees
Did you know that DS retirees can now participate in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and support charities locally, nationally and internationally? And that includes DSF (CFC #96262)!
Last year, the CFC made some important changes to modernize the program. One of those changes gave retirees and survivors the opportunity to contribute directly through the CFC, including through monthly annuities, to support more than 8,000 CFC approved charities.
In 2017, Federal employees and retirees pledged more than $100 million in total in monetary pledges. DSF received almost $29,000 in pledges, up more than $10,000 from the previous year. These pledges help people and communities in need and are a reflection of the generous nature of the Federal community. While we here at the DSF (CFC #96262) would love for you to support us, we just hope that you will consider participating in the 2018 CFC Campaign by donating to any CFC charity.
Take a moment today to make your pledge by visiting the CFC's Online Donor Pledging System at https://cfcgiving.opm.gov/welcome
For more info about DSF’s involvement with the CFC, visit our CFC Webpage
Interesting article about DSS at UNGA
From the In Homeland Security magazine: https://inhomelandsecurity.com/dss-diplomatic-security-service/
DSSAA 5K Run and Picnic 10/27/18
Our partner organization, DSSAA, is hosting a family day at Ticonderoga Farms out in Chantilly, VA on Saturday, October 27. It looks to be such a fun event! Check out their website for more info on both the run and the picnic. Hope to see you there! https://dssaa.org/family-picnic
Latest grant
This week we sent a check for $3,000 to a Guard Force Commander at The U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) to assist with uninsured medical costs incurred as a result of his wife’s serious illness. We wish her a speedy and full recovery.
DSF Board Election: Call For Nominations
Are you interested in serving on the Board of the Diplomatic Security Foundation (DSF)? An election will be held this October (2018) for four open board positions. Visit Board Election page for more info.
Check out this cool article about the Diplomatic Courier Service!
https://www.wired.com/story/diplomatic-courier-service/
Grants made this summer
Lot of grants going out our doors these past few months. Some of them heartbreaking, some of them heartwarming. We're so grateful to all of you who provide us with the donations that allow us to help those in our DS "family" during times of need. Keep donating!
Recent Grants since May:
$2,640 to a local guard at the US Embassy La Paz, Bolivia, whose house was severely damaged by a fire
$3,000 to the family of a local guard at US Embassy Pristina, Kosovo who died of heart attack
$2,750 to an instructor at the ITF in Summit Point, WV, to help cover uninsured medial costs associated with cancer treatments.
$5,000 to the family of a local guard at US Embassy Erbil, Iraq, who died after a battling lung cancer.
$6,715 for a local guard at US Embassy Sana'a, Yemen to assisted with medical costs for a kidney transplant
$3,000 to assist the family after the death of a DS Training Center instructor.
A link to all our Grants
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED FOR 2018
We're pleased to announce the winners of this year's DSF Scholarship Awards. Visit our scholarship page for a list of students.