CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- Representatives of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society hosted a commencement ceremony for the 2014 NMCRS Active-Duty Fund Drive March 10 at the Camp Foster Community Center.
Founded in 1904, the NMCRS is a nonprofit organization that provides financial and educational assistance to members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps along with eligible family members.
“It is extremely critical that we have the leadership (in one place) to set the tone for this fund-raising event,” said Maj. Gen. Charles L. Hudson, the commanding general of Marine Corps Installations Pacific. “The NMCRS is certainly a strong (program) that allows the commandant, the sergeant major (of the Marine Corps) and all of us to take care of our Marines and sailors.”
The event is held annually to raise funds to support programs and services provided by the NMCRS, and increases overall awareness of these programs among active-duty Marines and sailors.
The funding for the NMCRS originated from the proceeds of an Army-Navy football game in 1903 held in Philadelphia, according to Hudson. The event raised approximately $9,500, which was contributed to widows of Marines. For more than a century the NMCRS has continued the tradition of financially supporting those in need.
As a result of the 2013 campaign, more than 65,000 Marines and sailors received more than $48 million in interest-free loans and grants, according to All Marine Corps Activities Message 005/14. The funds loaned to service members can be used for basic living expenses, transportation, home and auto repairs, family emergencies and funeral expenses.
Service members are encouraged to not only donate to help fellow Marines and sailors, but also to learn about how they can become more financially responsible themselves.
“It’s not so much about the money,” said Michelle McBride, the director of the NMCRS Camp Foster office. “It’s about having the opportunity to help everyone, and I want them to know what we do here. We want them to be able to come to us before they have a financial problem. We want to help the Marines and sailors and make them the best possible people they can be.”
Contributors will have the opportunity to donate through a number of different venues, according to Gunnery Sgt. Benjamin D. Zeigler, the company gunnery sergeant with Company B, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, MCIPAC. Those looking to donate are encouraged to speak with selected unit representatives within each major command.
“The fund drive is a great source of relief for service members with families in distress,” said Zeigler. “Okinawa generated more than $200,000 last year.”
Information about the fund drive, as well as NMCRS financial and educational opportunities, can be found at nmcrsfunddrive.org. Additional support is available at the NMCRS Camp Foster office located in Building 5674, and the Camp Hansen office located in Building 2339.