NMCRS begins annual fund drive, continues to lend a helping hand

Photo By Cpl. Harley Thomas | Col. Sean C. Killeen, the commanding officer for Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and a Chicago native, speaks to the audience during the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’s annual Active Duty Fund Drive kick-off on Feb. 29, 2016, at the theater aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The purpose of the fund drive is to raise awareness among active duty Sailors and Marines about the programs and services available to them from the NMCRS, as well as to raise funds to support the organization. Since 1904, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society has helped active duty Marines and Sailors deal with crises, schedule and pay for emergency travel, and take care of their family when going through hardships. The society also supports Navy and Marine Corps widows, widowers, and the children of Marines and Sailors who have died – as well as those who are wounded and are seen in their homes by the organization’s visiting nurses. A crucial partner in force readiness, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provides nearly $50 million in financial assistance to Marines and Sailors each year. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Harley Thomas)  

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, UNITED STATES

03.01.2016

Story by Lance Cpl. Harley Thomas 

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society personnel hosted their annual Active Duty Fund Drive kick-off event for unit leadership and NMCRS coordinators on Feb. 29, 2016, at the theater aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

The purpose of the fund drive is to raise awareness among members of the armed forces about the programs and services available to them from the Society, as well as to raise funds to further support the organization and, in doing so, support the service members of MCB Hawaii.

“This fund drive not only helps to benefit the service members financially, but it also helps educate people about what the NMCRS can do,” said 2nd Lt. Keith Means, an air-traffic control crew officer with Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, and a Hartland, Connecticut, native. “This way, if they are ever in a tight spot in the future, they will know that they can utilize this. Anything could happen at any moment, this helps to serve as the service members’ safety net.”

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stephanie Inabinett, the drive coordinator for Headquarters Battalion, said the NMCRS is something all service members should know about because, as she learned through her personal experience, it’s impossible to plan for everything.

“For a long time, I didn’t know too much about the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, but I’ve needed the assistance and, thankfully, they were there to help,” said Inabinett, a Columbus, Ohio, native. “In 2009, my daughter passed away and they helped to pay for her funeral expenses. Honestly, they went above and beyond. With her death, I blacked out to what was going on, but when we were getting ready to go to her funeral, I remember asking myself who was paying for everything. We didn’t have the money for the cremation or even for all the obituaries they had made for her. It didn’t hit me until after it all happened, when I was told not to worry, that everything was taken care of.”

Inabinett said after that, in the same year, her parents got into a really bad car accident and the NMCRS flew her out to be with them, as well as provided her with a rental car.

“I didn’t have to pay any of that back,” she said. “My mother was in an induced coma for about three weeks, and I helped take care of her while my dad went back and forth between taking care of her and the rest of the family. They gave me an opportunity to be there for my family when they really needed me.”

Inabinett said that incident was right before the holiday season, so with the help of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, she didn’t have to worry about whether or not she would have the money to give her children a good Thanksgiving or Christmas.

“I thought I would have to take out another loan just to buy the plane ticket – a last minute ticket was going to cost me about two thousand dollars, not including the price of a rental,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do. Luckily, I had a good command that, on my behalf, went to the Relief Society and told them about my situation. I was still trying to figure out how to pay for everything when I got a call telling me when my plane leaves. They had set everything up, so all I had to do was pack my things and get there on time – it really was a blessing. It made me feel like there are people who do care and I have donated ever since then.”

Cheryl Milca, the NMCRS director for MCB Hawaii, said the funds received from active duty service members go right back to helping them and their families in times of need. The funds generated help provide interest-free loans and grants, as well as assistance in living expenses, such as food, shelter or utilities.

“If we, as an organization, can do these types of things for our Marines and Sailors, then we can help them focus on their work to ensure they are mission ready,” said Milca, a Maui, Hawaii, native. “The most important thing, I think, for our service members is for them to be educated about what we can offer. If they know what we can help with, they will know who to turn to when they are facing financial hardships.”

Inabinett said by donating to the NMCRS, it provides an opportunity to not only help oneself, but to help others as well. She also said that one will never know the impact a few dollars could have on someone’s life if they need it.

“They have helped me and some of my Marines when we needed it most, and there have been plenty of times when they went all out to take care of us,” she said. “When it came to my daughter, even while I wasn’t mentally all there, they were – especially behind the scenes – and they didn’t know anything about me. I really respect what they do. They just knew that I was in a bad place and stepped up to help when I needed it. I appreciate everything they have done and I will never, ever forget it.”

• Date Taken: 03.01.2016
• Date Posted: 03.08.2016 13:50
• Story ID: 191594
• Location: MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US
• Hometown: COLUMBUS, OH, US
• Hometown: HARTLAND, CT, US
• Hometown: MAUI, HI, US