JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) in Charleston, S.C., held its annual kickoff information session on February 23, 2018 at the Red Bank Club. The kickoff marks the beginning of their annual Active Duty Fund Drive, which runs from March 5 to April 16, 2018.
The information session provided NMCRS Charleston representatives the opportunity to distribute informational packages to commands across Joint Base Charleston. The drive raises funds to financially assist NMCRS programs and Navy and Marine Corps personnel in need.
"In 2017, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society helped more than 54,000 clients with $44.8 million in assistance through interest-free loans and grants. Visiting nurses and combat casualty nurses made more than 53,000 visits and contacts," said Autumn Crouser, the director of NMCRS Charleston. "The Society's programs and services have a profound impact on the lives of service members here in Charleston and around the world. Around 97% of your donated dollars go directly back out to support your fellow Sailors and Marines in their time of need."
The NMCRS offers a range of programs beyond emergency loans, including financial counseling, education assistance, health education and post-combat support, child budgeting, disaster relief, emergency travel funding, and access to thrift shops. By using a workforce composed mostly of volunteers, most contributions directly assist service members and their families.
"Our goal is to educate Sailors, Marines, and their families to change the dynamics of their situation and equip them with the tools to take charge of their finances. We encourage savings, financial planning, and responsibility. Providing this financial education empowers and leads to self-sufficiency, increasing operational readiness," Crouser added.
The mission of NMCRS is to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps, financial, educational and other assistance to members of the Naval Service of the United States and their eligible family members and survivors.
“NMCRS has been instrumental in ensuring the readiness of the Navy and Marine Corps by educating service members about the importance of financial health,” said Lt. Hannah Mayer, Supply Officer, Naval Support Activity Charleston.
Mayer is this year’s ADFD Area Coordinator. She emphasized, “We will achieve 100% meaningful contact so that we can ensure every Sailor and Marine is aware of the awesome services offered by the NMCRS.”
Founded in 1904, the NMCRS is a private, nonprofit, charitable organization. It is endorsed by the Department of the Navy and operates approximately 241 offices ashore and afloat at Navy and Marine Corps bases around the world.
The NMCRS' immediate goal is to assist each person seeking help in dealing with the crisis at hand. The organization’s long-term mission is to help Sailors and Marines become financially self-sufficient by teaching better financial management skills.