Those in the military can sometimes find themselves facing financial difficulty. Help is available. A few organizations, mostly nonprofit, exist to mobilize financial support to servicemen and veterans who are in need. They conduct wide-ranging programs in coordination with the armed forces that help veterans or active-duty soldiers through their financial difficulties.
Request Assistance from the EAP
When you are facing immediate financial difficulty, you can request assistance from the Employee Assistance Program. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) coordinator oversees programs through various regional agencies that help soldiers obtain financial assistance based on their rank and eligibility. Loans and grants are available through the Employee Assistance Program in certain situations such as loss of funds or property, disaster relief, emergency travel, emergency home repair, housing rental assistance, housing purchase assistance, medical and dental expenses, past due bills and expenses, funeral expenses, vehicle repair, debt management, moving expenses and temporary living expenses. Eligibility for a loan or a grant to cover these costs depends on your rank, length of service and a number of other individual factors. Assistance is not offered for such expenses as those incurred for gambling, paying taxes and so on.
Contact Local and Charities
If the EAP is unable to help you or your family, contact another local non-profit group designed to help soldiers. Numerous organizations exist both locally and nationally to help soldiers and their families who are in need. The Red Cross and United Way offer special programs for military families designed to provide access to services. Other charities include the Air Force Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Lifelines and many others. The Employee Assistance Program can provide you with a list of these charities available in your local area. These charities provide money, food, clothing, loans or grants and family support services.
Get Financial Education
When you are facing a pattern of financial difficulty, you may want to consider joining a Work-Life Program or getting some other type of financial education. Work-Life programs are offered by most branches of the armed forces, and include a financial management program. This program can help you learn to get your financial life under control by providing practical advice such as budgeting, financial planning, credit counseling and other helpful tips.
The Employee Assistance Program also offers a financial consultation program to teach budgeting, saving and other money-management tools.
Tags: Assistance Program, Employee Assistance, Employee Assistance Program, financial difficulty, help soldiers, armed forces