A Recent Case
Army - National Guard - Married - 3 Children (5,4,2)
Soldier has a civilian federal job and had hernia surgery that caused an extreme reaction to medications. Due to the reaction, the Soldier was absent from his civilian job and could not attend drills from April to June. The Unit did not consider this to be caused by his drill duties and unfortunately his civilian job had no short-term disability. This hardship put the Solider behind 3 months on his mortgage. In order to attempt to catch up on his bills he applied and was accepted for a stateside deployment. The per diem, mileage, etc would have allowed him to catch up and a repayment plan was negotiated. Then the family vehicle broke down on his way home and they had to rent a vehicle temporarily to get him back and forth and then the Soldier was given a car to use to get to his job. This stopped some of his per diem. The family also had to purchase a second hand vehicle to allow the spouse to meet the needs of the children in his absence for extended periods of time. The Soldier has been placed on back-to-back stateside orders for over three months.
The mortgage company has now placed the home on foreclosure for 3p.m. Oct 3rd if they do not receive $9100.00. Once negotiations started the amount went up to $13,000.00 they wanted the entire amount not a negotiation. The Housing Preservation Fund (HPF) and USA Cares had already negotiated $6600.00 from HPF funds and USA Cares was going to help with an old power bill so that the Soldier could focus on the repayment plan. Soldier had given up all hopes until his family came forward to make sure that the Soldier did not lose the home. They took out loans to come up with the cash needed and the Soldier sent the payment via Western Union to the mortgage company trusting HPF funds were on the way. The budget is complete; Soldier had provided all supporting documentation of the amount of his income and job stability. Request was to have USA Cares Wire $6600.00 to his mortgage company by 3p.m. on Oct 2nd. The mortgage company was requiring a quick collect wire to be completed by 9a.m. on the 3rd or they would not be able to stop the foreclosure, which had already been in the paper. USA Cares’ Resource Coordinator assigned to this case negotiated after working hours with the mortgage company and a new agreement was made that they would accept a bank wire from USA Cares but, they had to have the confirmation number into the mortgage company by 9am on Oct 3rd. USA Cares’ Bank Representative started the process before bank hours of operation and the mortgage company called to request the confirmation number at 9:15 a.m. EDT. The mortgage company’s time zone was one hour behind us.
Soldier began to panic and called the office every ten minutes and when the confirmation number arrived it had passed both time zone deadlines and we were all concerned that the attempts were in vain. However the Soldier called the VA loan officer within the mortgage company and the loan officer stated that “Knowing personally the reputation of the organizations involved, they knew the funds promised would arrive” and they got the foreclosure STOPPED for the Soldier. Thanks to everyone who went ABOVE and BEYOND on this effort and these are the ones for the Memory Book.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
USA CARES RECEIVES $2,500,000 GRANT
RADCLIFF, KY – President John Tindall announced today that USA Cares has been awarded a $2,500,000 grant through the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund, administered by the California Community Foundation. The grant will be awarded over a two-year period.
The grant’s purpose is to continue, and dramatically expand USA Care’s assistance to American military Service members and/or their families who have unmet needs due to death, injury, or other physical or mental detriment, or financial hardship, as a result of service or deployments related to ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hugh Dukes, Executive Director of USA Cares remarked, “The guidance and encouragement we have received from the fund directly supports our efforts to become the first call of military leaders and military families when there is an unforeseen gap in support during a crisis.” Dukes also said, “In our proposal, we detailed our efforts to maintain a consistent and responsible application of funds, but this generous gift also highlights the continued support of the American public both privately and organizationally to the goals of USA Cares.”
About the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund
The California Community Foundation (“CCF”) administers the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund. Founded in 1915, CCF is a leading charitable organization in Los Angeles County, managing over $1 billion in assets. CCF invests more than $100 million a year in Los Angeles through grants to nonprofit organizations. For more information, please visit our website, at www.calfund.org.
About USA Cares
To date, over 3,200 military family members have contacted or been referred to USA Cares, headquartered in Radcliff, Kentucky. Through aggressive advocacy, USA Cares staff has provided grant assistance valued at over $1.7 million in the first three years of operation. Working closely with other similar organizations across America, USA Cares strives to maintain a military family’s dignity and privacy, while working toward a responsive system to take the burden off the family during stressful times of mobilization or deployment.
Ongoing projects include Operation Arctic Linebacker supporting Service members in Alaska and the I Care Too! Campaign that is allowing thousands of Americans to visibly express their support to our Service members serving in harms way. Visit USA Cares at www.usacares.us .
USA Cares is a member of the Department of Defense’s program, America Supports You.
The grant’s purpose is to continue, and dramatically expand USA Care’s assistance to American military Service members and/or their families who have unmet needs due to death, injury, or other physical or mental detriment, or financial hardship, as a result of service or deployments related to ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hugh Dukes, Executive Director of USA Cares remarked, “The guidance and encouragement we have received from the fund directly supports our efforts to become the first call of military leaders and military families when there is an unforeseen gap in support during a crisis.” Dukes also said, “In our proposal, we detailed our efforts to maintain a consistent and responsible application of funds, but this generous gift also highlights the continued support of the American public both privately and organizationally to the goals of USA Cares.”
About the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund
The California Community Foundation (“CCF”) administers the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund. Founded in 1915, CCF is a leading charitable organization in Los Angeles County, managing over $1 billion in assets. CCF invests more than $100 million a year in Los Angeles through grants to nonprofit organizations. For more information, please visit our website, at www.calfund.org.
About USA Cares
To date, over 3,200 military family members have contacted or been referred to USA Cares, headquartered in Radcliff, Kentucky. Through aggressive advocacy, USA Cares staff has provided grant assistance valued at over $1.7 million in the first three years of operation. Working closely with other similar organizations across America, USA Cares strives to maintain a military family’s dignity and privacy, while working toward a responsive system to take the burden off the family during stressful times of mobilization or deployment.
Ongoing projects include Operation Arctic Linebacker supporting Service members in Alaska and the I Care Too! Campaign that is allowing thousands of Americans to visibly express their support to our Service members serving in harms way. Visit USA Cares at www.usacares.us .
USA Cares is a member of the Department of Defense’s program, America Supports You.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Stradley and Dukes form "Operation Arctic Linebacker"
This letter was written by USA Cares founder and operations guru Roger Stradley. He and Hugh Dukes (USA Cares Executive Director) have responded to needs in Alaska.
As many of you know, Hugh and I just returned from a weeklong trip to Alaska, where we provided 17 USA Cares briefings in six days. We covered Fort Wainwright, Fort Richardson, Eliese AFB and Elmendorf AFB and also an opportunity briefing with a family involved with the Family Assistance Center at Fort Greely. This includes a briefing to the Chief of Staff, US Army Alaska, Colonel Hagen.
We were treated very well, almost too well. As you may also know the 127D Inf. Brigade had about eight days notice that it was staying in Iraq for an additional 4 months. So instead of coming home last Tuesday, they will not come home now until the 15th of December. 68% of the unit was scheduled to depart, and the same number is arriving or has arrived, placing a terrible strain on the entire support infrastructure at Wainwright.
We have already begun to assist them; we started with eliminating the waiting list for basic family needs at the Lending Closet.
We also briefed the 4th Brigade, 25th Inf. Division rear detachment and senior spouses in Richardson. That unit leaves for Iraq in October.
We have launched Operation Arctic Linebacker because these families need our help. There are four unique situations that cause us to do this. 1) Remote location 2) Severe weather approaching 3) Unexpected extension to assignment 4) Replacements signing in now.
This is the mission statement:
In response to the unique challenges confronting the Alaskan based military units during the war on terror, USA Cares, using its national reputation and resources, coordinates both direct and indirect support to our Alaskan based military service members and their families.
These units face unexpected extension in Iraq, approaching severe winter weather, incoming families expecting to replace departing families and the impending deployment of both active and National Guard units from this remote area of operation known as US Army Alaska.
And these are some of the objectives we have set, many of them already underway.
- Eliminate all outstanding waiting lists for essential quality of life needs from local lending closets and thrift stores
- Conduct a “looking forward” assessment of needs in view of Ft Wainwright approaching 180% strength by December
- Develop the ability to provide food cards within two hours of request at both Ft Wainwright and Ft Richardson
- Develop a family services action team to overcome the time difference between Radcliff (EST) and Alaska time
- Develop, coordinate and facilitate corporate support from the lower 48 to USAAK units to include other branch of services
- Develop, coordinate and facilitate charitable and service organizational support from the lower 48 to USAAK units to include other branch of services
Pat and her team have already initiated steps to deal with the time difference, and the best news of all is that we have one of our former volunteers on the ground. Tonya signed in the day before we arrived, and immediately volunteered to rejoin USA Cares. The local Red Cross Station Chief has provided her with an office, furniture and computer, and she is already working hard to tell the USA Cares story and work with families.
We have established a checking account at the local on post MAC Federal Credit Union (They waived all fees) and are cutting checks for use at the commissary, free of charge. We have pre-positioned $5,000 in the fund (Many thanks to Republic Bank), and in a media release coming out Friday in Alaska and here in the states through America Supports You early next week we will offer others to help us help them by donating directly to an Alaska fund, for Alaskan-based troops and their families. The address to the credit union will be listed, and they are ready to take deposits, notify us of names and addresses and we will provide appropriate thank you’s and receipts. We have stated that any funds deposited in this site, will only be used for program expenses associated with assisting military families.
We believe this could very well become as big an event for us as was Operation Slugger. We have one large corporation that is going to mobilize it’s 4,000 employees to pack up items that are desperately needed in lending closets there and send them very soon. We expect other similar offers as the word gets out.
I guess if I had to sum up our view of what is happening up there, it only takes a sign to show you. There were hundreds of banners hanging on the fences that lined the road on to post, all hung there with the expectation that their husband, daddy or mom would be in their arms in just a few minutes. Instead, they still stand the wall and defend us. We owe them the best, and I know we an organization that is more than bumper sticker deep in our support to them.
We were told up there on more than one occasion, that a lot of people and come up and said they wanted to “help”, but we were the first ones to actually do something.
We did, because of a great team called USA Cares, and all the generous contributors and supporters.
Roger
As many of you know, Hugh and I just returned from a weeklong trip to Alaska, where we provided 17 USA Cares briefings in six days. We covered Fort Wainwright, Fort Richardson, Eliese AFB and Elmendorf AFB and also an opportunity briefing with a family involved with the Family Assistance Center at Fort Greely. This includes a briefing to the Chief of Staff, US Army Alaska, Colonel Hagen.
We were treated very well, almost too well. As you may also know the 127D Inf. Brigade had about eight days notice that it was staying in Iraq for an additional 4 months. So instead of coming home last Tuesday, they will not come home now until the 15th of December. 68% of the unit was scheduled to depart, and the same number is arriving or has arrived, placing a terrible strain on the entire support infrastructure at Wainwright.
We have already begun to assist them; we started with eliminating the waiting list for basic family needs at the Lending Closet.
We also briefed the 4th Brigade, 25th Inf. Division rear detachment and senior spouses in Richardson. That unit leaves for Iraq in October.
We have launched Operation Arctic Linebacker because these families need our help. There are four unique situations that cause us to do this. 1) Remote location 2) Severe weather approaching 3) Unexpected extension to assignment 4) Replacements signing in now.
This is the mission statement:
In response to the unique challenges confronting the Alaskan based military units during the war on terror, USA Cares, using its national reputation and resources, coordinates both direct and indirect support to our Alaskan based military service members and their families.
These units face unexpected extension in Iraq, approaching severe winter weather, incoming families expecting to replace departing families and the impending deployment of both active and National Guard units from this remote area of operation known as US Army Alaska.
And these are some of the objectives we have set, many of them already underway.
- Eliminate all outstanding waiting lists for essential quality of life needs from local lending closets and thrift stores
- Conduct a “looking forward” assessment of needs in view of Ft Wainwright approaching 180% strength by December
- Develop the ability to provide food cards within two hours of request at both Ft Wainwright and Ft Richardson
- Develop a family services action team to overcome the time difference between Radcliff (EST) and Alaska time
- Develop, coordinate and facilitate corporate support from the lower 48 to USAAK units to include other branch of services
- Develop, coordinate and facilitate charitable and service organizational support from the lower 48 to USAAK units to include other branch of services
Pat and her team have already initiated steps to deal with the time difference, and the best news of all is that we have one of our former volunteers on the ground. Tonya signed in the day before we arrived, and immediately volunteered to rejoin USA Cares. The local Red Cross Station Chief has provided her with an office, furniture and computer, and she is already working hard to tell the USA Cares story and work with families.
We have established a checking account at the local on post MAC Federal Credit Union (They waived all fees) and are cutting checks for use at the commissary, free of charge. We have pre-positioned $5,000 in the fund (Many thanks to Republic Bank), and in a media release coming out Friday in Alaska and here in the states through America Supports You early next week we will offer others to help us help them by donating directly to an Alaska fund, for Alaskan-based troops and their families. The address to the credit union will be listed, and they are ready to take deposits, notify us of names and addresses and we will provide appropriate thank you’s and receipts. We have stated that any funds deposited in this site, will only be used for program expenses associated with assisting military families.
We believe this could very well become as big an event for us as was Operation Slugger. We have one large corporation that is going to mobilize it’s 4,000 employees to pack up items that are desperately needed in lending closets there and send them very soon. We expect other similar offers as the word gets out.
I guess if I had to sum up our view of what is happening up there, it only takes a sign to show you. There were hundreds of banners hanging on the fences that lined the road on to post, all hung there with the expectation that their husband, daddy or mom would be in their arms in just a few minutes. Instead, they still stand the wall and defend us. We owe them the best, and I know we an organization that is more than bumper sticker deep in our support to them.We were told up there on more than one occasion, that a lot of people and come up and said they wanted to “help”, but we were the first ones to actually do something.
We did, because of a great team called USA Cares, and all the generous contributors and supporters.
Roger
Thursday, July 13, 2006
USA Cares Snapshot - 7.13.06
USA Cares
As a 501(c)(3) organization that began in March of 2003, USA Cares has answered the call for assistance from over 2,730 military members or their families across America and provided or located over $1,516,977 of support, all in the form of grants.
USA Cares is funded through the generous contributions from corporations, organizations and individuals and continues to sustain a 94 percent plus ratio of mission dollars.
USA Cares in Action (as of 7.13.06):
Assisted 2,730 military members or families in 50 states and 7 other territories
188 cases pending
Assisted 919 national guard/reserve with $643,712 in support
Homeownership Preservation Foundation Support: $218,055.92 - 58 homes saved - 28 states
Average 38.0 new calls a week
238 outreach contacts nationwide
67 media contacts nationwide
Largest donations received:
$1M CA Community Foundation (Anonymous Donor, Dec 05)
$400,000 Homeownership Preservation Foundation (Nov 05)
$15,000 Fred Hartley Foundation (Feb 04, Feb 05)
$25,400 Private donor
$25,000 Distillery Industry (Feb 05)
$25,000 Pioneer Services & Associates (Nov 05)
$25,000 National Veteran’s Service Fund (Nov 05)
$15,000 Prilosec (American Freedom Foundation, Nov 05)
$15,000 Fred L Hartley Family Foundation (Sept 05)
Major needs provided:
Mortgage Repair 31.9%
Housing 18.9%
Utilities 13.6%
Food 10.5%
New Information:
I Care Too! was mentioned in USA Today! The campaign has seen a jump in orders since then.
Key Points:
Primarily a volunteer organization
All branches of services are supported
Awards or Recognition:
Neilson Media gifted USA Cares $10,000 in media presentation and USA Cares first official alliance was formed (June 2006)
USA Cares, its staff, and its volunteers recognized on the Commonwealth of Kentucky Senate Floor in a Senate Motion filed by Senator Elizabeth Tori (March 2006)
Volunteer personally recognized by the President of the United States with Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Jan 2006)
Governor of Kentucky (Volunteer Org 2005)
Association of the United States Army (Special Project Award)
Radcliff Chamber of Commerce (Community Service Award-Stradley)
Republic Bank “We Care” 2005 Award Winner (Small business-Bedrock)
Special Projects:
Operation Brave Boxer (Spring 06)
Collect boxers and undershirts for soldiers at Walter Reed.
I Care Too! (Winter 06 and on-going)
Goal: to sell 165,000 t-shirts and post pictures on website
Benefit: Outreach, Public Awareness and Strengthening of USA Cares by raising money to cover all operational costs
Operation Slugger (Spring 05)
13 tons of sporting equipment to Iraq/Kuwait/Afghanistan
Partners: Louisville Slugger/DHL/ AUSA/Republic Bank/APL Shipping
Fort Knox AUSA Award Streamer (2005)
Operation Lapwrap (Summer 05)
1,100 handmade quilts to wounded Soldiers
Delivered to Walter Reed & Fort Sam Houston
Partner: Operation First Response
Operation Southern Care (Fall 05)
Tractor trailer of clothing sent to Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans
Partners: Hardin Transport/Helen’s Flowers/ Hardin County NAACP
As a 501(c)(3) organization that began in March of 2003, USA Cares has answered the call for assistance from over 2,730 military members or their families across America and provided or located over $1,516,977 of support, all in the form of grants.
USA Cares is funded through the generous contributions from corporations, organizations and individuals and continues to sustain a 94 percent plus ratio of mission dollars.
USA Cares in Action (as of 7.13.06):
Assisted 2,730 military members or families in 50 states and 7 other territories
188 cases pending
Assisted 919 national guard/reserve with $643,712 in support
Homeownership Preservation Foundation Support: $218,055.92 - 58 homes saved - 28 states
Average 38.0 new calls a week
238 outreach contacts nationwide
67 media contacts nationwide
Largest donations received:
$1M CA Community Foundation (Anonymous Donor, Dec 05)
$400,000 Homeownership Preservation Foundation (Nov 05)
$15,000 Fred Hartley Foundation (Feb 04, Feb 05)
$25,400 Private donor
$25,000 Distillery Industry (Feb 05)
$25,000 Pioneer Services & Associates (Nov 05)
$25,000 National Veteran’s Service Fund (Nov 05)
$15,000 Prilosec (American Freedom Foundation, Nov 05)
$15,000 Fred L Hartley Family Foundation (Sept 05)
Major needs provided:
Mortgage Repair 31.9%
Housing 18.9%
Utilities 13.6%
Food 10.5%
New Information:
I Care Too! was mentioned in USA Today! The campaign has seen a jump in orders since then.
Key Points:
Primarily a volunteer organization
All branches of services are supported
Awards or Recognition:
Neilson Media gifted USA Cares $10,000 in media presentation and USA Cares first official alliance was formed (June 2006)
USA Cares, its staff, and its volunteers recognized on the Commonwealth of Kentucky Senate Floor in a Senate Motion filed by Senator Elizabeth Tori (March 2006)
Volunteer personally recognized by the President of the United States with Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Jan 2006)
Governor of Kentucky (Volunteer Org 2005)
Association of the United States Army (Special Project Award)
Radcliff Chamber of Commerce (Community Service Award-Stradley)
Republic Bank “We Care” 2005 Award Winner (Small business-Bedrock)
Special Projects:
Operation Brave Boxer (Spring 06)
Collect boxers and undershirts for soldiers at Walter Reed.
I Care Too! (Winter 06 and on-going)
Goal: to sell 165,000 t-shirts and post pictures on website
Benefit: Outreach, Public Awareness and Strengthening of USA Cares by raising money to cover all operational costs
Operation Slugger (Spring 05)
13 tons of sporting equipment to Iraq/Kuwait/Afghanistan
Partners: Louisville Slugger/DHL/ AUSA/Republic Bank/APL Shipping
Fort Knox AUSA Award Streamer (2005)
Operation Lapwrap (Summer 05)
1,100 handmade quilts to wounded Soldiers
Delivered to Walter Reed & Fort Sam Houston
Partner: Operation First Response
Operation Southern Care (Fall 05)
Tractor trailer of clothing sent to Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans
Partners: Hardin Transport/Helen’s Flowers/ Hardin County NAACP
Saturday, July 08, 2006
USA Cares Launches the "I Care Too" Campaign on it's Third Aniversary
Join the I Care Too! Campaign. Purchase an "I Care Too!" T-Shirt or Polo Shirt.Encourage your company or organization to participate as a corporate member! For more information please call 1.866.820.3635 or visit our website: www.icaretoo.us. USA Cares will be happy to arrange bulk shipping and assistance, including (if appropriate) a visit from a USA Cares representative to further explain what USA Cares does for military members and their families.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
