If you have a charitable event upcoming that you would like to see featured in next month's newsletter please email the information to newsletter@knauz.com

 

With the all of the Armed Forces engaged in several conflicts across the globe,  we would like to highlight a few programs that are always in need. These men and women have joined our armed forces and at times they themselves or their families need our support. The Knauz Autopark would like to thank all those that have served our nation to keep us free and to protect our freedom.

With the Great Lakes Naval Base just a few miles from our Autopark, we would like to remind you of all the great work the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provides to active duty and retired Sailors and Marines and their families.

Founded in 1904, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is a private non-profit charitable organization. It is sponsored by the Department of the Navy and operates nearly 250 offices ashore and afloat at Navy and Marine Corps bases throughout the world. The Society was incorporated in the District of Columbia and has its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. It is managed by a Board of Directors whose members are active duty or retired members of the Naval Services, or spouses of active duty or retired members of the Naval Services.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Naval Station Great Lakes

525A Farragut Ave., Bldg 26

Great Lakes, IL 60088-2915

Contact Information:

e-mail to:: Carol Ward, carol.ward@nmcrs.org

Website http://www.nmcrs.org/index.html
Hours: M-F 0800-1600  Phone:(847) 688-6830 Fax: (847) 688-2658

The Society's 48 Visiting Nurses provide health education, resource information and emotional support to Navy and Marine Corps Active Duty personnel, Retirees and family members. Home visits are made to families with questions/concerns ranging from prenatal care to chronic health problems of the elderly. The Visiting Nurses also provide long-term follow up to families affected by the Global War on Terror (GWOT), assisting with resources for combat casualties as well as offering a friendly "ear" for those who want to talk about their concerns and experiences

With the continued war on terror and a prolonged engagement in Iraq, our Navy and Marine Corps families are facing personal and financial hardships. Family budgets are strained and those who remain at home face a mounting workload. Your donation to Combat Casualty Assistance will support the families of Marine Corps and Navy personnel who are serving, or were injured or killed in Iraq orAfghanistan, or on board ships in the Arabian Gulf.

Help eligible Navy and Marine Corps families pursue their academic goals by contributing to our scholarship and educational financing fund. Scholarship needs are greater than ever.

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) is the official relief society of the U.S. Coast Guard. CGMA is a non-profit charitable organization established to provide financial aid to the entire Coast Guard family. While CGMA works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, it is an independent corporation. Its mission is to promote the financial stability and general well being of Coast Guard people through interest-free loans, grants, and financial counseling.

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Programs

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Education grants and loans foster long-term financial well-being by helping Coast Guard families pursue their academic goals through post-secondary education

The Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Layette Program is designed to provide support by providing a layette package (containing a receiving blanket, outfits and other items for a newborn child) to the families of junior members of the Coast Guard community when they have, or adopt a child.

One of the main purposes of Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is to provide financial assistance to clients caught in emergency, short-term, financial situations beyond their control that endangers personal well being. An emergency condition is one that arises suddenly, is unforeseen and urgent, and requires immediate attention. Emergency assistance is generally authorized in circumstances that impose a serious financial or personal hardship on the client requiring urgent help to relieve the situation. Cent ain eligibility and assistance restrictions apply, and are outlined in the CGMA Manual.

Medical and dental assistance from CGMA is limited to those extraordinary, unexpected, emergency situations where, after careful planning and budgeting, a demonstrated financial need remains, after having utilized all available resources. Medical, dental, or hospital expenses must be medically required, not elective. In all cases, the client must have a demonstrated financial need for assistance after utilizing all available resources

Debt Management assistance is intended to help our clients become good financial managers of their income. To become good financial managers, they must first be able to meet their financial obligations. Sacrifice and austerity on the part of the client is essential. Debt Management assistance does not aim to return an insolvent person to an absolutely normal way of life. Debt Management does assist by helping to create the minimum essential financial condition to allow the person to live frugally while paying off obligations in a responsible manner. Debt Management assistance generates sufficient cash flow to permit a livable budget, repayment of debt, and the provision for modest savings to meet future needs.

General Assistance may be provided when unexpected events or expenses cause a serious financial burden and financial need is demonstrated. General Assistance differs from Emergency Assistance because the qualifying circumstance does not immediately endanger personal well being or require urgent help.

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance has teamed with Armed Forces Services Corporation (AFSC) to provide lifetime benefit and entitlement information and services to surviving family members of Coast Guard clients who die on active duty or when drilling under Reserve orders.

Housing Assistance may be considered to assist clients who have demonstrated a financial need, obtain housing and establish a household when moving to a new area. Housing assistance may be provided to help with settlement charges when purchasing a home, or for deposits when renting. Assistance may also be provided for the cost of establishing utilities

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization, providing financial assistance to the entire Coast Guard "family." While sponsored by the U. S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance does not receive federal funds. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is funded solely from contributions and returns on investments. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRS Letter June 2002, IRS Letter April 2007). Contributions to Coast Guard Mutual Assistance are deductible for income and estate tax purposes

Website

Location of CGMA Representatives in Illinois

Commanding Officer
CGMA Representative
USCG MSU Chicago
215 West 83RD Street Suite D
Burr Ridge, IL 60521-7059

YN1 Paul K. Dillon
(630) 986-2155
Paul.K.Dillon@uscg.mil

The Air Force Aid Society is the official charity of the United States Air Force, incorporated in 1942 as a private, non-profit organization. For over 68 years, the Air Force Aid Society has supported the Air Force mission by providing worldwide emergency assistance, sponsoring education assistance programs and offering an array of base community enhancement programs that improve quality of life for Airmen and their families.

 

Air Force Aid Society emergency assistance is available to Airmen and their eligible family members to meet immediate needs in an emergency situation. The Society provides interest free loans and grants based on the individual situation for needs such as:

·         Basic Living Expenses

·         Emergency Travel

·         Vehicle Expenses

·         Funeral Expenses

·         Medical/Dental

·         Child Care/Respite

·         Moving Expenses

·         Miscellaneous Expenses

Education Programs History

For over 60 years, the Air Force Aid Society has been known primarily for its emergency assistance efforts aimed at helping active duty members and their families cope with short-term financial needs. However, it's important to recognize that dating back to WWII, the Society has also extended significant financial assistance for education programs, offerings made possible by the establishment of the Air Force Aid Society Education Fund. That this fund continues to thrive is a tribute to the wisdom and foresight of General Henry "Hap" Arnold and General Carl "Tooey" Spaatz who were instrumental in its creation.

 

 The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) recognizes that Air Force families are subject to unique stresses due to the nature of military life -- deployments, remote tours of duty, frequent moves, extended working hours, etc. Families are separated from the military member as well as from extended family who might otherwise offer support. In an effort to help, AFAS, in cooperation with AF Services, funds a monthly "Give Parents a Break" program at most AF child care and youth centers

 

 The Child Care for PCS Program is intended to help relieve some of the stress felt by Air Force families in the process of a PCS move. AFAS will pay for 20 hours of child care (per child) in AF certified Family Child Care homes on base or in AF affiliated homes off base.

Families with PCS orders are able to receive a Child Care for PCS Certificate at the base from which they are departing and at their new base. Certificates, which must be used at the base at which they are issued, are good 60 days before the family's departure from their base, and within 60 days after arriving at the new base.

 

 Recognizing how important volunteers are to a base community, the Air Force Aid Society provides funding for child care through the Child Care for Volunteers program. AFAS helps offset child care expenses for volunteers who support programs which benefit the entire base community. (We are not able to pay for those who volunteer in the Thrift Shop, for fund raising or social activities.) This child care is to be done in AF certified Family Child Care homes on base or AF affiliated homes off base.

 

 Are you an active duty member of the Air Force? Do you have a special needs child or spouse enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program?

If your answer is "yes", the Air Force Aid Society’s Respite Care program may be of help to you by providing the funds for a caregiver to stay with the special needs person. Respite care allows a "break" a few hours a week or month to families who have the responsibility of 24 hour a day care for an ill or disabled family member living in the household.

AFAS assistance for respite is based on need -- the need for some time away from the normal care duties, as well as financial need, and is always given as a grant. Our program is intended to assist those who cannot afford it and would otherwise never get a chance to rest and reduce some of the stress related their responsibilities. Our goal is to allow respite time while finances are adjusted to work toward budgeting for self financed care and/or enrollment into another available military or community resource.

In addition to respite care, the AFAS may be able to assist your family in other ways. Often out -of-pocket medical expenses put additional strains on an already  tight budget. We have found that many times merely helping with some past due medical expenses, purchasing some specialized equipment, or just getting you network with a support group, can ease your anxiety.

Sammy Rabbit Financial Education Initiative

 Sammy Rabbit is a Financial Education initiative initially introduced by AFAS in 2007 to address the spike in financial assistance requests from service members and their families. Offered under AFAS’s Community Enhancement programs for Youth/Spouses, this successful initiative targets youth (preschoolers and up) and their families and offers military families a "Savings Message" that contributes to stronger financial education programs nationwide.

 

Bundles for Babies
If you are an active duty member or spouse of an active duty member who is expecting a baby or is a new mother at assigned to an Air Force installation, you are encouraged to contact your Airman & Family Readiness Center to sign up for a "Bundles for Babies" class and, upon completion of the class, receive a free "bundle" that the Air Force Aid Society purchased from the Gerber Company. The class offers you a finance piece that focuses on budgeting for your new baby from conception to college years and a chance to find out what support programs are available on-base and in the communities in which they live. Included in the "bundle" are:

 

Active Duty Air Force members of all ranks, single and married, who will be deployed for over 30 days are eligible to receive a pre-paid $20 phone card for use while deployed. Guard and Reserve members who are activated under Title 10 orders for over 30 days are also eligible to participate in this program. This program makes it possible for the service member to "phone home" to family or friends during deployment and to make emergency contacts when necessary, without added expense to the service member. Additionally, family members at the home base with unique problems may be eligible to receive a card.

 

The Car Care Because We Care Program is designed to keep the primary family vehicle of deployed active duty Air Force members in top running condition by providing preventive vehicle maintenance. This maintenance includes oil/filter change, lubrication, and vehicle safety checks on a grant basis. Due to extreme winter weather at some northern bases, winterization requirements may also be included with services.

 

Program Overview

 The Spouse Employment Program provides entry-level job training to AD Air Force spouses with the goal being immediate, viable employment. An important benefit of this program can be improving a family's financial readiness. Finances are very often a concern for young military families, and sometimes an obstacle to securing employment is the lack of entry-level job skills.

 

Although Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) is very much involved in the long-term education goals of spouses with the Arnold Education Grant and the overseas STAP Program, we feel the Spouse Employment Program is a worthwhile initiative because it provides entry-level job skills that (hopefully) will lead to viable employment. Each Community Readiness Consultant, working with a local community college, can tailor training to match the requirements of those local employers interested in hiring military spouses.

 

Program Overview

The objective of the Heart Link Program is to strengthen military families and enhance mission readiness. Appreciating that spouses play an important role in re-enlistment decisions, therefore impacting retention, a major program goal is to help spouses, especially those with the Air Force five years of less, acclimate to the Air Force/military environment. This program includes orientation activities consisting of presentations form base agencies, interactive games and exercises that should, by the end of the day, leave spouses feeling they are an important and respected part of the Air Force team. A program highlight is a visit from the Wing Commander who presents a coin to each spouse for completing the program.

 

 The Youth Employment Skills (YES) Program is an on-base volunteer program for high school students and is offered at selected Air Force bases. This program, underwritten by the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS), is a joint effort between AFAS and Air Force Family Member Programs Flight to offer high school students an opportunity to learn valuable work skills, "bank" dollar credits toward their post-secondary education/training, and have a positive impact on their base community.

 

YES allows high school students to "bank" $4 in grant funding for every hour volunteered in an on base function. Students may accumulate as much as 250 hours over all 4 years of high school combined, for a potential maximum of $1,000 toward their future vocational-technical or academic endeavors. In addition, the base will be credited with $2 for every volunteer hour, to be used in support of base youth program enhancements (up to $10,000 per year).

 

Website:  http://www.afas.org/index.cfm  To Donate

Scott AFB - located 6 mi. ENE of Belleville

Airman & Family Readiness Center

375 MSS/DPF

404 W Martin, Bldg 1650

Scott AFB IL 62225

Phone: 618-256-8668

FAX: 618-256-1983

 

 

 

AER is a private nonprofit organization incorporated in 1942 by the Secretary of War and the Army Chief of Staff. AER's sole mission is to help soldiers and their dependents.

 

AER is the Army's own emergency financial assistance organization and is dedicated to "Helping the Army Take Care of Its Own". AER provides commanders a valuable asset in accomplishing their basic command responsibility for the morale and welfare of soldiers.

 

AER funds are made available to commanders having AER Sections to provide emergency financial assistance to soldiers - active & retired - and their dependents when there is a valid need.

 

AER funds made available to commanders are not limited and are constrained only by the requirement of valid need.

 

For these reasons, the AER assistance program is conducted within the Army structure by major commanders and their installation/organization commanders through AER sections and other related organizations.

 

 

·         Food, rent or utilities

·         Emergency transportation and vehicle repair

·         Funeral expenses

·         Medical/dental expenses

·         Personal needs when pay is delayed or stolen

·         Give undergraduate-level education scholarships, based primarily on financial need, to children of soldiers

 

·         Dependent Children Scholarship Program

·         Overseas Spouse Education Assistance Program (OSEAP)

·         Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SSEAP)

 

Website Information: http://www.aerhq.org/index.asp

Donation Page http://www.aerhq.org/donation.asp

Contact Information

Rock Island Arsenal (04035)

Commander, Rock Island Arsenal

ATTN: IMWE-RIA-MWA (AER Officer)

Bldg. 110 1st Floor

Rock Island, IL 61299-5000

Phone (309) 782-0815 Fax (309) 782-0817