December 2011/January 2012 - Navy
By CDR John W. Alexander, USN ( Ret )
Vice President, Chief Communications Officer
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society was founded
in 1904. At the time, there were no federal
programs to provide for the widows and
orphans of Sailors and Marines killed on
active duty. Before Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society,
it was often left to crew members to take up collections
in the name of a fallen comrade.
In its first year, the Society collected and awarded
$9,500 in financial assistance to widows and orphans.
More than 100 years later, the Society’s dedication to
military families remains unchanged. Through the
decades, the Society’s operations have grown to reflect
the changing needs of the Marines, Sailors and families
we serve. These changes include needed financial
assistance for Navy and Marine Corps retirees, personal
financial management counseling, thrift shops at military
bases around the world, a visiting nurse program, financial
assistance for college education and budgeting for baby
workshops for new military parents. Assistance is often
awarded for rent, food, and other basic living expenses.
Other elements of assistance, especially during natural
disasters, are less predictable and repeatable; but the
Society is always ready to help meet a need, including
immediate shelter, food, evacuation travel costs and
other basic living expenses.
Combat Casualty Assistance Visiting Nurse Program.
The Society expanded its Visiting Nurse Program in 2006
to respond to the increasing number of combat wounded
Marines and Sailors. For these heroes, the road to recovery
can be a long, emotional, and sometimes confusing
process. The Society’s Combat Casualty Assistance (CCA)
licensed nurses complement the military medical care,
serving as advocates on behalf of the service members
and their families to help take the guesswork out of long
term health recovery. The nurses serve all 50 states and
go wherever they are needed, meeting face-to-face with
the wounded, injured and their families, helping them
identify critical resources and providing emotional health
support. Fifteen CCA Registered Nurses, supported by 33
additional Registered Nurses in the Society’s traditional
visiting nurse program are currently serving more than
1,500 combat injured service members and their families.
The ability of these nurses to travel across America
to support these military heroes and those that care
for them at home is a valuable feature of this unique
program, not offered by any other agency. Contact the
Director, Visiting Nurses, Ruthi Moore at (703) 696-0032
or e-mail visitingnurse@nmcrs.org for more information
on this remarkable program.
Help during natural disasters. Irene may have been
only a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80
mph and gusts reaching 100, but she certainly left a path
of destruction in her ten-state wake. Irene caused power
outages at six million residences and businesses and
dumped more than 16 inches of rain in a very short time.
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society team of volunteers
and employees doesn’t let wind and rain detract from
their 24/7 response to the needs of clients. Hurricane
Irene was no different. “We want to be the first resource
Sailors and Marines turn to when they need help – in
both fair weather and foul,” said Kathy Nelson, Director
of the NMCRS Norfolk team. “We take tremendous pride
in providing compassionate, prompt and effective assistance
to all of our clients,” she added. In response to
Hurricane Irene, the four offices in Tidewater, Virginia,
disbursed $728,212 in interest-free loans and grants in
response to the needs of 1,381 clients.
Volunteers: The heart of the organization. Since the very
beginning, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society has relied on its
volunteers to achieve the organization’s objective of helping Sailors
and Marines meet unforeseen financial emergencies and manage
their resources. In fact, the Society has seen its volunteer ranks
expand from 19 in 1904, to more than 3,500 this year. Serving
both ashore and afloat, volunteers come from all walks of life and
have a rainbow of different skills to offer. Society President Steve
Abbot sums up the value the Society places on its volunteer staff
when he says, “The tradition of caring for and serving others
has been passed down from generation to generation of Society
volunteers, and volunteers remain the heart of the organization.”
Demand for the Society’s service is high. The demands on
our people from over ten years of war and the unstable economy
parallels the upsurge in requests for assistance. In 2010, the
Society’s 3,500 volunteers disbursed $50 million in interest-free
loans and outright grants in response to 100,000 calls for help.
That equates to one out of every five Marines and Sailors that
were served by the Society. By the end of this year, we expect to
have helped a similar number. What makes our services unique is
not just the monetary assistance, but the one-on-one financial
planning that comes with it. The goal is not simply to take care of
the immediate financial need but to provide a roadmap for them
to become self sufficient and avoid a downward spiral of debt.
Rely on donations; Not federal funding. Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society does all of this without federal funding, relying,
instead, on generous donations, predominantly from the active
duty and retired Sailors and Marines we serve. How can you help?
We are extremely grateful for the generous and unsolicited contributions
from all patriotic Americans, organizations and corporations.
Learn more at www.nmcrs.org.