The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society says it has noticed a growing misperception about where and how it distributes its money.
And it wants to set the record straight.
Andrea Bowen, director of the Yokosuka Group NMCRS, said that she has been told several times that the reason people would not donate during the active-duty fund drive is because they heard the money goes toward spouse tuition assistance and education grants.
Not true, Bowen stressed.
“We do not use money collected from servicemembers during our annual fundraising events to provide grants for spouse tuition assistance,” she said. “All the money collected from the active-duty fundraisers goes toward client relief services. It’s your money, and it’s important that you know that the money goes back to you.”
According to Bowen, citing the Relief Society’s 2006 annual report, the funding for educational programs come from the return on its investments dating back to a reserve fund created in 1942 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized a one-time public solicitation of funds.
The relief society provided $37 million in assistance in 2006, according to the report. Of that, about $19 million came from donations, $12.6 million of which was raised during the annual active-duty fund drive. Servicemembers can donate in a monthly allotment or in a one-time donation, and the organization runs a direct mail campaign for military retirees.
“There are a lot of things military [people] probably don’t understand about them,” Chief Warrant Officer Bryan Ledrew said of the relief society.
He said he recommends the organization to his charges at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni when they need assistance.
“I don’t have as much experience with them here at Iwakuni, but I know that at Camp Lejeune they had help for Marines with credit issues and financial counseling,” Ledrew said. “They also had a ‘Budget for Baby’ class where’d they’d give out a baby’s ‘first seabag’ full of blankets and items for the child.”
Several servicemembers said Tuesday the organization has helped them in a time of need, including Chief Petty Officer Gary Copenhaver, a damage controlman stationed at Yokosuka Naval Base’s Afloat Training Group who donates to the society every year.
“It helped me back when I was a new sailor. I had just had a baby and my car broke down,” Copenhaver said. “It all happened at once, and I didn’t have anyone to turn to for help.”
Petty Officer 3rd Class Brad John said he was able to be home for his father’s quadruple bypass surgery, with help from the society.
He said he just finished paying back the interest-free loan he got for his plane ticket.
“I needed to get home right away and they helped me,” John said. “It’s a good resource.”
Stars and Stripes reporter Allison Batdorff contributed to this report.
Schooled by Navy-Marine Corps Relief SocietyThe Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’s education funding programs are designed to help eligible participants attain academic goals.
The money comes from returns on investments from a fund established in 1942, according to the society’s Web site.
The organization’s policy is that all educational awards are determined solely on the basis of the applicant’s financial need.
All applicants must have at least a 2.0 grade-point average.
The society has several avenues to help servicemembers with education costs. Each student may receive funds for up to four years of undergraduate study. All money is sent directly to the student’s school and can be used only for direct educational expenses.
Here’s a look at some of the programs:
Vice Adm. E. P. Travers Scholarship and Loan Program: Provides scholarships and interest-free loans to dependent children and spouses of active-duty and retired sailors and Marines.
USS Tennessee Scholarship Fund: Provides grants of up to $2,000 for an academic year to dependent children of servicemembers who are serving or have served aboard the USS Tennessee.
Dependents of Deceased Service Members Scholarship Program: Provides grants for an academic year to children and spouses who are dependents of deceased servicemembers. Spouses must not have remarried.
Admiral Mike Boorda Scholarship Program: Provides grants ranging from $500 to $2,500 for an academic year to students for several Navy and Marine Corps commissioning programs.
For more information on any of the listed programs, contact your local Navy Marine Corps Relief Society or go to: www.nmcrs.org/education.html.
— Chris Fowler
