Marine Corps Community, Marine Corps Spouse and Family Resources - Marine Corps Times

Resources: Got problems? Where to find aid

No matter how well you manage your life, problems sometimes arise that you can’t fix alone. There are organizations out there ready to help. Here’s how to get in touch with the private military relief societies and other aid organizatons:

Private organizations

The Armed Services YMCA is a social service agency focusing on help for young enlisted families.

The Operation Homefront network, with some 33 chapters around the country, provides assistance with day-to-day issues for families of deployed service members in areas such as food, crucial car repair, home and appliance repair, refurbished computers, moving and transportation and furniture.

American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services provides a vital link to home for those serving in remote areas. The Red Cross relays messages. Emergency messages can be initiated by service members or their families and relayed quickly to virtually any community or military installation, even to ships at sea.

USA Caresproblems during deployments and mobilizations. Much of their help involves getting families through a financial crunch, helping them find resources in their local communities for food, car repair, and other assistance such as help to avoid foreclosure on the mortgage because of deployment-related problems.

Military relief societies

Private military relief societies can help service members solve emergency financial problems. There are four private, nonprofit societies: Army Emergency Relief, Air Force Aid Society, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. Each has local representatives on military installations, usually in family centers. Each operates under different policies and procedures. They offer education assistance programs for spouses and children. They also can help service members and families with debt management and offer other programs depending on the location.