Robins Airman's Attic helps Airmen turn houses into homes Published Sept. 12, 2008 By Amanda Creel 78 ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, GA -- For many Air Force families turning a house or an apartment into a home is a necessary skill set. However, adding the comforts of home can be a daunting task on any budget especially for those who are just beginning their Air Force journey. That is why the Airman's Attic for many young Air Force members and their families can be an answer to their house warming woes. The Airman's Attic offers items of all kinds free for the taking to help young Airmen and their families stretch their budget. A group of young Airmen recently joined together to help make the Robins' Airmen's Attic fill the voids left in many bedrooms and kitchens throughout the Robins' community. The results of their efforts is a more user friendly attic where more Air Force families can get the assistance they need. One of the Airmen credited with spearheading many of the improvements at the base's Airman's Attic Staff Sgt. Tara Grippon, said she just wants it to be a valuable resource to Robin's Airmen. Sergeant Grippon, a passenger and travel clerk with the bases' Travel Management Office, said when she first volunteered to help the Airman's attic she had no idea what she was getting into. When she arrived as a volunteer she described the Airman's Attic, which is located in a house on Chief's Circle, as chaos. "Coming from both sides of the house, you couldn't reach each other because of all the boxes," she said. A fellow volunteer 1st Lt. James Fink, 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance officer in charge agreed the attic was in dire need of a facelift. "I can't even describe how bad it was," he said. Today, the Airman's attic is the opposite organized similar to many Airman's homes. The attic makes it easy to locate needed items by placing them where they are most commonly used. "We set it up the way you would set up your actual house. That way you could go to where you would find things in your house and they would be there," Sergeant Grippon said. The downstairs of the home offers kitchen, dining and living room items and the upstairs holds two children's rooms and an adult room. Sergeant Grippon said the Airman's Attic has seen vast enhancements recently allowing Airmen within the community to find what they need and giving the Robins' community a great place to recycle unwanted items that could be a blessing to another active-duty family. "This is just another one of the multitudes of ways the Air Force gives back to one another and raises its young Airman," Lieutenant Fink said. The Airman's Attic is open to enlisted Airman from airman basic to staff sergeant and 1st and 2nd lieutenants. The attic offers various items including clothing, toys, baby items such as strollers and car seats, dishes and small kitchen appliances. Master Sgt. Lisa Wills, who is in charge of the Airman's Attic, said she is grateful for the help she has received to get the attic ready to meet the needs of the Robins' community. She said she is still looking for additional volunteers to help man the attic on Mondays 8 a.m. to noon and Wednesdays noon to 4 p.m. so that families will have adequate time to come and collect the items they need. She said she hopes to be able to expand the hours of the attic, but that she needs more volunteers before she can make that happen. Along with volunteers the attic is also looking for more donations of gently used items. The attic request that all donations be cleaned and ready for new owners before being dropped off. Because of a lack of space the attic can't accept large furniture items. Although the attic can't store the larger items it will help donators find a new home for larger items by placing them on a wish list that is distributed throughout the Robins community. The Airman's Attic is also home to the uniform closet previously located at the base's thrift store. The uniform closet is open during the attic's business hours and is open to any Airman regardless of their rank.