JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Combined Federal Campaign for Joint Base Charleston kicked off Sept. 14 at the Monthly Commander's Challenge Run and will continue through Oct. 31.

The mission of the CFC is to support and promote philanthropy through a voluntary program that is employee-focused, cost-efficient and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all. CFC is the only authorized charitable fund-raising campaign among federal employees. It is conducted in the fall of each year in communities which have a significant number of federal civilian, military and postal employees.

Combined Federal Campaign is our campaign and it's not surprising that as public servants, the men and women who keep this nation strong each day through hard work, ingenuity and dedication, are also the most generous ... raising more than 7 billion dollars for approximately 25,000 charities since CFC's inception. Thank you to all, and congratulations on making CFC the world's largest and most successful annual workplace campaign.

This year our CFC theme is "Together, We Can Make a Difference." Collectively, our contributions deliver emergency services, medical care, education, training, resources and hope for the future to many people who would otherwise have no hope. By emphasizing that even a small donation makes a huge difference, we can have a profound impact for good when we join together as a federal community. There are more than 80 local charities this year that could also benefit from our contributions, and knowing we are making an impact in our own community is something to be proud of.

Find out who your CFC representative is and consider giving up a candy bar or soda each week for a good cause ... together we can make a difference!