Over 4,910 military families helped
Porvided over $2.541,570 million in grant support
Over 148 military homes saved from foreclosure
Assisted families in 50 states and 7 overseas locations
Friday, March 02, 2007
There's No Place Like Home
Army
Reservist
Divorced
1 child
Per a suggestion from his Unit Support Program, the Soldier contacted USA Cares to request
help. He was on the way home from AT Training and his primary vehicle broke down. As it
turns out, the vehicle is worth less than the repair. The Soldier just needed help to get home.
The USA Cares’ computers were down so finding resources had to come from phone logs
and cooperation with the American Legion and local agencies.
The Soldier was two hours from his home with no money in his pocket and walking in snow
and very bad weather. The Chaplain’s office on the nearest military post could not help him
because he is a Reservist. The Soldier had no idea who to contact and how to get home. He
did not know where the bus station was or how to get there, since no one at the Chaplains’
office would transport him.
The USA Cares Resource Coordinator had to get the USA Cares’ Executive Director to
intervene to get the Chaplains’ office to take him to the Mess Hall to use the meal card he
was still authorized to use. The Resource Coordinator working the case asked the
Chaplain’s assistant to provide a number for a cab company that could come on post.
The Resource Coordinator requested donated travel to get the stranded Soldier to the bus
station 30 minutes from the post. The dispatcher called the owner and called USA Cares
back in less than 10 minutes. Owner of the Cab company agreed to get the Soldier where he
needed to go. (Value of donated transportation $55.00)
The Resource Coordinator contacted the State American Legion Representative and they
offered 3 local post contacts to get someone to help get a bus ticket. The ticket cost $27.50.
The Resource Coordinator was able to get with the Legion contact and confirmed at 6pm that
same evening, that the cab driver picked up the Soldier at the Post and took him first to the
American Legion. The American Legion gave him $50.00 for ticket and food. The cab driver
was then going to take Soldier to the bus station to wait for his bus.
Total Support to this Soldier was $50.00 from the Legion and $75.00 total value of the
transportation (additional travel from Post to Legion).
Total Support $125.00 donated
Reservist
Divorced
1 child
Per a suggestion from his Unit Support Program, the Soldier contacted USA Cares to request
help. He was on the way home from AT Training and his primary vehicle broke down. As it
turns out, the vehicle is worth less than the repair. The Soldier just needed help to get home.
The USA Cares’ computers were down so finding resources had to come from phone logs
and cooperation with the American Legion and local agencies.
The Soldier was two hours from his home with no money in his pocket and walking in snow
and very bad weather. The Chaplain’s office on the nearest military post could not help him
because he is a Reservist. The Soldier had no idea who to contact and how to get home. He
did not know where the bus station was or how to get there, since no one at the Chaplains’
office would transport him.
The USA Cares Resource Coordinator had to get the USA Cares’ Executive Director to
intervene to get the Chaplains’ office to take him to the Mess Hall to use the meal card he
was still authorized to use. The Resource Coordinator working the case asked the
Chaplain’s assistant to provide a number for a cab company that could come on post.
The Resource Coordinator requested donated travel to get the stranded Soldier to the bus
station 30 minutes from the post. The dispatcher called the owner and called USA Cares
back in less than 10 minutes. Owner of the Cab company agreed to get the Soldier where he
needed to go. (Value of donated transportation $55.00)
The Resource Coordinator contacted the State American Legion Representative and they
offered 3 local post contacts to get someone to help get a bus ticket. The ticket cost $27.50.
The Resource Coordinator was able to get with the Legion contact and confirmed at 6pm that
same evening, that the cab driver picked up the Soldier at the Post and took him first to the
American Legion. The American Legion gave him $50.00 for ticket and food. The cab driver
was then going to take Soldier to the bus station to wait for his bus.
Total Support to this Soldier was $50.00 from the Legion and $75.00 total value of the
transportation (additional travel from Post to Legion).
Total Support $125.00 donated
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Sears Helps to show Troops USA Cares
Holiday shoppers turning to the Internet to avoid the mall crowds have an easy way to support
service members and their families this year thanks to a partnership between Sears Holdings
Corporation and USA Cares.
USA Cares serves to provide military families of all branches and services with financial support, while offering direction and advice along with a caring attitude. To date, in addition to stopping foreclosure on over 106 military homes, the non - profit has helped more than 4,200 families with over $2.1 million in grant support. Sears Holdings is the parent company of Sears and Kmart department stores.
"Sears has a longstanding commitment with the military, and we feel privileged to assist the
troops and their families through this initiative," Brenda Storch, a Sears Holdings spokeswoman, said. "We wanted to partner with a respected organization that would help us to ensure that military families are remembered this holiday season."
Sears officials found what they were looking for in USA Cares, which provides assistance to
members of the armed forces and their families who have unmet needs because of death, injury, physical or mental impairment, or financial hardship.
Through the partnership, Sears customers can visit a special Web site,
www.readysetholiday.com, established for the holiday season. "It seemed as though it would be a good way to involve our customers in helping military families through the holidays," Storch said.
The Web site provides a wish list of items that can be purchased and shipped directly to USA
Cares, Roger Stradley, one of the group's founders and director of operations, said. Once all of
the purchases are received at USA Cares' Radcliff, Ky., office, they'll be sorted and sent to areas
where they'll do the most good. For instance, a lot of the cold-weather clothing will go to Alaska.
The gifts range in price from about $9 to a couple hundred dollars and include clothes and
household items. Gift cards also may be purchased in lieu of a gift.
"USA Cares does not get any cash," Stradley said. "We're just coordinating and helping facilitate (for) hopefully thousands of Americans that want to just say thanks to a guy or a gal who's wearing the uniform or their family."
Sears Holdings kicked the program off with a donation of $10,000 in gift cards when the program started Nov 26. Since then, USA Cares has received a couple of boxes a day. "It's kind of like Christmas," Stradley said. "We pop it open to see what came."
It doesn't matter to the folks at USA Cares whether a donor chooses a gift or a gift card to show their support of the military community.
"I want whatever that person's heart is moved to send," he said. "Obviously gift cards make it a little easier, especially if your heart is that you want to help a (Guardsman) or reservist who might not be near a major installation."
The site will remain active through Christmas day. USA Cares staff and volunteers will tackle
distributing the items after the first of the year, Stradley said.
service members and their families this year thanks to a partnership between Sears Holdings
Corporation and USA Cares.
USA Cares serves to provide military families of all branches and services with financial support, while offering direction and advice along with a caring attitude. To date, in addition to stopping foreclosure on over 106 military homes, the non - profit has helped more than 4,200 families with over $2.1 million in grant support. Sears Holdings is the parent company of Sears and Kmart department stores.
"Sears has a longstanding commitment with the military, and we feel privileged to assist the
troops and their families through this initiative," Brenda Storch, a Sears Holdings spokeswoman, said. "We wanted to partner with a respected organization that would help us to ensure that military families are remembered this holiday season."
Sears officials found what they were looking for in USA Cares, which provides assistance to
members of the armed forces and their families who have unmet needs because of death, injury, physical or mental impairment, or financial hardship.
Through the partnership, Sears customers can visit a special Web site,
www.readysetholiday.com, established for the holiday season. "It seemed as though it would be a good way to involve our customers in helping military families through the holidays," Storch said.
The Web site provides a wish list of items that can be purchased and shipped directly to USA
Cares, Roger Stradley, one of the group's founders and director of operations, said. Once all of
the purchases are received at USA Cares' Radcliff, Ky., office, they'll be sorted and sent to areas
where they'll do the most good. For instance, a lot of the cold-weather clothing will go to Alaska.
The gifts range in price from about $9 to a couple hundred dollars and include clothes and
household items. Gift cards also may be purchased in lieu of a gift.
"USA Cares does not get any cash," Stradley said. "We're just coordinating and helping facilitate (for) hopefully thousands of Americans that want to just say thanks to a guy or a gal who's wearing the uniform or their family."
Sears Holdings kicked the program off with a donation of $10,000 in gift cards when the program started Nov 26. Since then, USA Cares has received a couple of boxes a day. "It's kind of like Christmas," Stradley said. "We pop it open to see what came."
It doesn't matter to the folks at USA Cares whether a donor chooses a gift or a gift card to show their support of the military community.
"I want whatever that person's heart is moved to send," he said. "Obviously gift cards make it a little easier, especially if your heart is that you want to help a (Guardsman) or reservist who might not be near a major installation."
The site will remain active through Christmas day. USA Cares staff and volunteers will tackle
distributing the items after the first of the year, Stradley said.
Success! Success! In Thre Hours!
Army Medical Hold (No pay in last 90days) married, 3 children
Credit Counseling Referral Coordinator’s (CCRC) notes with Homeownership Preservation Foundation identified cause of hardship was due to static pay issues in 2003. Once this was resolved the client was financially caught up and then Soldier was deployed and injured in 2005 causing pay issues from Dec of 2005 to August of 2006. Additionally the military owes him back pay. The mortgage company also stated that the home was in arrears for $7205.00. The paperwork came into the USA Cares office with six hours left before the foreclosure. The family had $600.00 to go toward the loan, however that would have left them with no additional funds. A budget showed a surplus of income and the spouse has a disability claim as well and this will add to their income in 30-90 days. USA Cares’ Resource Coordinator talked to the mortgage company and they initially said they could not work this in time to resolve the foreclosure issues and they still needed the agreement from the client that had to be notarized. Fortunately, the Resource Coordinator’s daughter works in the Default Department of this same bank and was able to help by getting the Loss Mitigation Department to accept a wire in lieu of receipt of the notarized papers. USA Cares was able to provide $2186.46 to the client’s bank to stop foreclosure in less than three hours!
Credit Counseling Referral Coordinator’s (CCRC) notes with Homeownership Preservation Foundation identified cause of hardship was due to static pay issues in 2003. Once this was resolved the client was financially caught up and then Soldier was deployed and injured in 2005 causing pay issues from Dec of 2005 to August of 2006. Additionally the military owes him back pay. The mortgage company also stated that the home was in arrears for $7205.00. The paperwork came into the USA Cares office with six hours left before the foreclosure. The family had $600.00 to go toward the loan, however that would have left them with no additional funds. A budget showed a surplus of income and the spouse has a disability claim as well and this will add to their income in 30-90 days. USA Cares’ Resource Coordinator talked to the mortgage company and they initially said they could not work this in time to resolve the foreclosure issues and they still needed the agreement from the client that had to be notarized. Fortunately, the Resource Coordinator’s daughter works in the Default Department of this same bank and was able to help by getting the Loss Mitigation Department to accept a wire in lieu of receipt of the notarized papers. USA Cares was able to provide $2186.46 to the client’s bank to stop foreclosure in less than three hours!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Another Success Story - This one is unbelievable!
Army - Active Duty (injured and on Med Hold)
Married (wife is a diabetic, recently had Open Heart Surgery, is on dialysis, and is on the kidney and pancreas transplant list) Mother-in-law moved into their home and is on SSI (she is using her $1400.00 a month to pay the $875.00 mortgage to save their home) 2 Daughters (12 yr old has a birthday in Feb and was hoping to have a present and her Mom and Dad home, 13yr old is in cancer remission (Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma). They are still paying for medical bills and medicine that Tricare would not pay. This child (due to the cancer treatment) needs some extensive dental work and the dental insurance is capped out for the family.
This story is beyond belief and shows great patriotism, heart and strength from the family. In 2001, the Soldier (then a civilian) took his 401K and put his family into their first home. In 2004, after the impact of the Iraq War hit home, Soldier immediately decided to enlist in the Army to do his part. While in Iraq, Soldier was hit by an IED. He was treated for a concussion and X-rays showed many pieces of shrapnel imbedded in his body. Despite his injuries, the Soldier went back to the line confident he would be able to perform his duties.
Shortly thereafter, he received a Red Cross message to come home due to his wife having emergency surgery. While at the hospital in the US with his wife, the Soldier began to run fever and thought he had the flu. Again, despite his illness and injury, around April 15th, he went back to Iraq. Once back in Iraq he was immediately medivacced to a medical facility. The shrapnel in his body had shifted, there were blood clots in various parts of his body and a staph infection had shut down all his major organs. He was put into a drug-induced coma for several weeks and is now on a lung transplant list. Once able, he was sent to the nearest military installation, which is 120 miles from his home.
The family had already experienced major financial issues the previous winter when their 13yr old daughter was being treated for cancer. Insurance denied some of the treatments, reimbursing the family only $4900 out of a total $9800 medication bill. This is still a financial burden. Thankfully, for numerous reasons, the cancer is now in remission (medicine was $480.00 week). Spouse is also still paying for some of her medical supplies for her diabetes, she has out of pocket expenses not covered by insurance that take $400-$600 a month out of their budget. She
has filed for SSI, however she and her 13yr old have both been denied. A local attorney is working pro-bono for the appeal on both of these family members. The family’s credit is ruined because at one time during this whole ordeal they were paying $1800 a month out of pocket for
travel and medicines not covered by insurance.
Now add the following to the issues. DFAS is taking out $430.00 a month from Soldier’s pay because they did not have him listed as a war injury and they said he was receiving compensation he was not entitled to. Spouse assumed it was overpayment of special pays from Iraq, but they have copies of documents proving that all special pays stopped in April when he was sent to the CO Med Hold.
Spouse applied for USA Cares assistance August 24th. Due to her husbands’ medical needs, communications between this family and the USA Cares office were limited until mid-October. Spouse stated she took the TSGLI information to her social services personnel and they kept putting her off. No one came to this family’s financial aid, however Tom Winks, the local Congressman, did come to the hospital to meet with her. The Congressman had a Congressional opened on the DFAS for the pay issues and also looked into why it was taking so long to get a TSGLI appointment. Spouse was finally able to get an appointment on Sept 20th.
USA Cares’ Board approved $5600 for this family to give them a clean slate as of Oct 1. Additional support from AUSA, Pioneer Services, Operation First Response, and other organizations and individuals helped to get school supplies, clothing, and incidentals for the grandmother and both daughters. Contacts to Military Officials will afford this family extended pharmaceutical and medical care to meet the needs of the three family members who will need consistent care.
It was USA Cares’ "Extreme Exception to Policy" that allowed us the opportunity to link together many organizations and individuals to meet the needs of a family who has truly sacrificed beyond all limits.
Married (wife is a diabetic, recently had Open Heart Surgery, is on dialysis, and is on the kidney and pancreas transplant list) Mother-in-law moved into their home and is on SSI (she is using her $1400.00 a month to pay the $875.00 mortgage to save their home) 2 Daughters (12 yr old has a birthday in Feb and was hoping to have a present and her Mom and Dad home, 13yr old is in cancer remission (Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma). They are still paying for medical bills and medicine that Tricare would not pay. This child (due to the cancer treatment) needs some extensive dental work and the dental insurance is capped out for the family.
This story is beyond belief and shows great patriotism, heart and strength from the family. In 2001, the Soldier (then a civilian) took his 401K and put his family into their first home. In 2004, after the impact of the Iraq War hit home, Soldier immediately decided to enlist in the Army to do his part. While in Iraq, Soldier was hit by an IED. He was treated for a concussion and X-rays showed many pieces of shrapnel imbedded in his body. Despite his injuries, the Soldier went back to the line confident he would be able to perform his duties.
Shortly thereafter, he received a Red Cross message to come home due to his wife having emergency surgery. While at the hospital in the US with his wife, the Soldier began to run fever and thought he had the flu. Again, despite his illness and injury, around April 15th, he went back to Iraq. Once back in Iraq he was immediately medivacced to a medical facility. The shrapnel in his body had shifted, there were blood clots in various parts of his body and a staph infection had shut down all his major organs. He was put into a drug-induced coma for several weeks and is now on a lung transplant list. Once able, he was sent to the nearest military installation, which is 120 miles from his home.
The family had already experienced major financial issues the previous winter when their 13yr old daughter was being treated for cancer. Insurance denied some of the treatments, reimbursing the family only $4900 out of a total $9800 medication bill. This is still a financial burden. Thankfully, for numerous reasons, the cancer is now in remission (medicine was $480.00 week). Spouse is also still paying for some of her medical supplies for her diabetes, she has out of pocket expenses not covered by insurance that take $400-$600 a month out of their budget. She
has filed for SSI, however she and her 13yr old have both been denied. A local attorney is working pro-bono for the appeal on both of these family members. The family’s credit is ruined because at one time during this whole ordeal they were paying $1800 a month out of pocket for
travel and medicines not covered by insurance.
Now add the following to the issues. DFAS is taking out $430.00 a month from Soldier’s pay because they did not have him listed as a war injury and they said he was receiving compensation he was not entitled to. Spouse assumed it was overpayment of special pays from Iraq, but they have copies of documents proving that all special pays stopped in April when he was sent to the CO Med Hold.
Spouse applied for USA Cares assistance August 24th. Due to her husbands’ medical needs, communications between this family and the USA Cares office were limited until mid-October. Spouse stated she took the TSGLI information to her social services personnel and they kept putting her off. No one came to this family’s financial aid, however Tom Winks, the local Congressman, did come to the hospital to meet with her. The Congressman had a Congressional opened on the DFAS for the pay issues and also looked into why it was taking so long to get a TSGLI appointment. Spouse was finally able to get an appointment on Sept 20th.
USA Cares’ Board approved $5600 for this family to give them a clean slate as of Oct 1. Additional support from AUSA, Pioneer Services, Operation First Response, and other organizations and individuals helped to get school supplies, clothing, and incidentals for the grandmother and both daughters. Contacts to Military Officials will afford this family extended pharmaceutical and medical care to meet the needs of the three family members who will need consistent care.
It was USA Cares’ "Extreme Exception to Policy" that allowed us the opportunity to link together many organizations and individuals to meet the needs of a family who has truly sacrificed beyond all limits.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
