NMCRS kicks off annual fund drive; goal is $90,000

Photo by Andrea Howry / Lighthouse

Twelve plates of cookies, including Snickerdoodles emblazoned with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) logo, grace a table in the NMCRS office during a cookie exchange to honor NMCRS volunteers Wednesday, Feb. 13. Volunteering can be an alternative to a monetary donation during the fund drive.

The 2013 Active Duty Fund Drive in support of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) kicks off March 1.

The slogan this year is: “Help support fellow Sailors, Marines and their families. Someday you may need them to return the favor.”

NMCRS Ventura disbursed more than $400,000 in assistance to service members, retirees and families in 2012. There were 761 cases needing financial assistance; 98 other cases that year involved non-financial assistance.

What that figure does not include is the savings achieved by shopping at the NMCRS Thrift Shop, the $150 worth of free baby items included in NMCRS Budget for Baby layettes, or the peace of mind and amount of support that each client gets when receiving assistance from a nonprofit volunteer workforce.

In 2012, the NMCRS assisted more than 61,000 active duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their families worldwide. The total caseload topped 100,000.

More than $43 million was disbursed, with 39 percent of overall assistance going to basic living expenses, including food, rent and utilities. Transportation costs — insurance, car payment and rental — took up 21 percent of the disbursements, and car repairs made up 12 percent.

Winston Churchill once said, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”

Participating in the NMCRS Active Duty Fund Drive helps you and your fellow active duty military members by giving back to your own.

NMCRS Ventura’s goal this year is $90,000. Will you help us get there? Donations are accepted in the form of payroll deductions (allotments), checks or cash. Service members are encouraged to contribute by allotment since the donation can be spread over a 12-month period, thereby minimizing the financial impact on the family budget. Prefer to donate online? Visit nmcrsfunddrive.org.

For those unable to make a monetary donation, the Society would be pleased to have assistance as a Society volunteer. Call 805-982-4409 for information on the next volunteer orientation.

For more information on the fund drive at NBVC, contact Lt. j.g. Daniel Monteith via email at daniel.monteith@navy.mil. Command representatives may also contact Executive Director Oscar Ramos at 805-982-4409 or via email at oscar.ramos@nmcrs.org.