why infinite extent
The Employee Assistance Fund was conceived in 1992 by Alaska Airlines Captain Al Brunelle. Al wanted to help fellow employees who may be suffering financial hardship due to a medical or catastrophic event.
The Fund is not a part of the Alaska Airlines company or Air Group. It is a separate, non-profit organization made up of employees who volunteer to serve on the Board of Directors, representing all divisions of Alaska Airlines.
The goal is for every Alaska Airlines employee to donate $1 per paycheck. 100% of all contributions go towards assisting fellow employees at Alaska Airlines. The EAF is a 501(c)3, charitable organization and all contributions are tax-deductible.
All employees are eligible to apply, whether or not they donate to the EAF. Applications are strictly confidential. Assistance granted is a gift, not a loan and is not required to be repaid.
Last year, about 30 percent of employees gave to the EAF through payroll deduction. The EAF raised approximately $286,000, which was used to help about 73 employees pay their mortgages, COBRA insurance, car payments and insurance, and medical and grocery bills while they recovered from injury or illness.
Besides payroll deductions, we have several fundraising events: EAF Online Auction in Oct/Nov, the Golf Tournament in Aug, and the Left on Board (LOB) sale. Many employees have also undertaken their own projects to raise money for the EAF. One such activity is the Gold Coast Center piñata auction, held in early May each year. We have also had a pilot design study cards to sell with the proceeds donated to the EAF, and many others have done charity hikes/swims/runs; with all proceeds going directly to the EAF.
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The kehn family
The Napoleon family
Our son, Keanu, was born in 2002 and was a perfectly healthy and happy baby. At about 18 months, he drifted into his own world. He also began exhibiting very strange behaviors, which was very sad and scary for us.
Keanu Napoleon Keanu had terrible digestive problems and almost stopped eating altogether. He never slept a full night. He'd wake every few hours crying inconsolably. It was heartbreaking to not know how to help him. It led us from one doctor to another and, finally, at age 3, he was officially diagnosed with autism.
What we have learned is that the best therapies and treatments for autism are not covered by insurance. They're very expensive and financially crippling. We found ourselves faced with thousands of dollars of medical bills. I had to take many leaves from my job to stay home to take care of Keanu's medical and emotional needs.
The EAF helped us with some of our bills when I was unable to work. We are extremely grateful for the generosity and compassion of the entire group of individuals who take time out of their busy day to help families like ours.
— Bob "Nappy" and Dana Napoleon,Flight attendants
our service
The Employee Assistance Fund for Alaska Airlines Employees provides assistance to employees in the event of an emergency or major medical situation, or those employees suffering catastrophic event. The EAF is the employee's last resort, after having exhausted sick leave, vacation time, and other avenues of assistance.
The EAF may assist with medical bills, mortgage or rent, car payments or insurance, utilities, health insurance premiums or gift certificates for food. Some extenuating circumstances we have helped with: One man needed a special bed that the EAF helped pay for. One woman, who was also the caretaker for her disabled husband, had her roof collapse and the EAF helped pay for supplies to replace it. The EAF helped pay for a hotel stay while an employee's daughter was getting a bone marrow transfusion. The EAF has also helped several employees replace items when they had a house fire.
The goal of the EAF is to be a lifeline for employees in true need.