Marine Corps Base Quantico -- “I want to send a strong message to our Marines and Sailors that the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society truly is an organization worthy of our gratitude and generous support,” Col. Joseph M. Murray, commander MCINCR-MCB Quantico said.
“Last year, leaders on base demonstrated their support by participating in a contribution-form signing ceremony that ran concurrent with MCCDC’s “First Friday” PME at The Clubs At Quantico. It generated a great amount of momentum and was very successful.”
April 1, general officers and senior leaders from around the base will join Col. Murray in an official contribution/signing ceremony at The Clubs At Quantico at 2:30 p.m.
Through this demonstration of solidarity by senior leaders in signing contributions in support of this year’s NMCRS campaign, Murray hopes the MCB Quantico community will also see the value of the NMCRS and make contributions as well.
“The high water mark for contributions was $220K raised in 2009, and since that time it has dipped. Last year’s total increased to $143K, the first significant rise in contributions in many years, and this can be contributed to the tremendous command support and interaction,” Murray said. “We must continue to demonstrate and advertise our support for this tremendous organization and attempt to energize everyone within our establishments.”
The MCINCR-MCB Quantico goal for this year’s campaign is $150,000.
The campaign began March 1 and will end April 30.
Since 1904, the mission of NMCRS has been to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps, financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the naval services of the United States, eligible family members, and survivors when in need. NMCRS provides need-based financial assistance to eligible recipients in the form of interest-free loans and grants, as well as scholarships and interest-free loans for education. NMCRS also offers financial counseling, thrift shops, and visiting nurse services. In 2014, more than 60,000 active-duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their families turned to NMCRS, which provided nearly $86 million in financial assistance.
The Society has provided an average of $43.7 million annually in financial assistance to clients in the form of interest-free loans and grants, while charitable contributions to the Society have averaged $18.1 million per year.
The NMCRS offers a range of programs beyond emergency loans, including financial counseling, education assistance, health education and post-combat support, child budgeting, disaster relief, emergency travel funding, and access to thrift shops. By using a workforce composed mostly of volunteers, most contributions go back to service members and their families.