b'program for Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Eventually, this financial assistance expanded to help with other needs, such as medical bills.Anticipating the personal needs of those servingin the U.S. military during World War II, PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt authorized a public appealfor support to benefit the military relief associations. This national fundraising effort helped establish the Societys Reserve Fund in 1942. This fund provides a rainy-day means of supportand relief assistance not covered by other revenue streams, especially during catastrophic natural disasters that affect Navy-Marine CorpsNavy and Marine Corps members and their families.HELPING WITH THERelief Society HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF NAVYAND MARINE CORPS FAMILIESBy the early 1920s, one of the biggest needs for Society www.nmcrs.org loans and grants was medical expenses for dependents. At the time, the military only provided health care to active PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY duty service members. To help with health care needs of The Society provides financial assistance and education,spouses and children, the Society hired its first registered as well as other programs and services, to members of thenurse in 1922. She provided in-home nursing assistanceUnited States Navy and Marine Corps, their eligible familyand guidance on caring for babies and children. Today, our members, widows, and survivors. The Society also receivesvisiting nurses still make house calls to answer medicaland manages donated funds to administer these programsquestions and visit newborns.and services. EXPANDING ASSISTANCE FOR Our main goal is to help each person who comes to us getFINANCIAL AND HEALTHCARE NEEDSsupport for their immediate needs. Our long-term mission isThe Society has expanded its financial assistanceto help Sailors and Marines become financially self-sufficientprograms several times to meet new and growing needs. In by learning how to better manage their personal finances1964, the Society began an education assistance program. and prepare for unplanned expenses. In the early 1980s, the financial assistance and counseling SERVING SAILORS AND program was created to help service members betterMARINES FOR OVER A CENTURY manage their money.In 2006, realizing the need for specialized support, the The need for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Society was the first to launch a program for our Nations was recognized long before it was organized. Our newlycombat-served Sailors and Marines returning home with formed nation couldnt afford to provide a benefits packagephysical, psychological, and emotional injuries. for its armed forces. There were no medical benefits for .continued on page 11service families, no retirement annuities or survivorsbenefits for families of deceased personnel. Sailors and Marines would pass the hat to collect funds to help their shipmates widows and orphans.MEETING THE FINANCIALNEEDS OF WIDOWS, ORPHANS, AND MOREIn 1904, several Naval officers, wives of Naval officers, and civilian friends saw the need for more formal and organized assistance. The Society was incorporated on January 23 of that year. Initial funding came from the proceeds of the 1903 Army-Navy Football Game held at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In its first year, the Society gave $9,500 to widows and families of enlisted men. U.S. Marines with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) command deck, including Brig. Gen. Karsten S. Heckl, During World War I, military pay days were often delayed.center, the commanding general of 2nd MAW, sign donation forms during the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) Fund Drive Kick Off at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Feb. 20, 2019. To help cover the gap, the Society began an interest-free loan(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Damaris Arias)Thank You For Your Service Military Appreciation Resource Magazine 9'