Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Lewis | Capt. David Baird, from right, commanding officer of Naval Station Rota, Spain,...... read more read more
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When Personnel Specialist 1st Class Jasmine Laumoli was assigned to Personnel Support Detachment Rota, Spain, she received a call that no one wants to get.
“My grandmother had passed away and I was trying to go home within the next four days,” said Laumoli. “So planning with leave and my finances at the time, I knew I would be in a financial bind. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go home.”
Early in her Navy career, the supervisor at her first duty station had told her about the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS).
“He said if anything falls through and you’re in a tight spot, financially, there are resources available,” Laumoli added.
While at her first duty station, she had gone to visit the NMCRS office in San Diego to get a budget and learn about all that the relief society had to offer. So when faced with this tragedy, she knew she had somewhere to go for help.
“Coming in for an emergency leave situation, you do not have to do a budget, you just need your LES, your pre-approved leave, and your ID card,” said Courtney Snyder, NMCRS Rota director. “We began searching flights and we were able to help her the same day and get her in and out so she could get ready to go back and be with her family.”
Laumoli came into the NMCRS Office in Rota and with their help was able to get her a loan for her airfare and other travel expenses, they helped find flights to get her home to Samoa, and set up a budget with her to make sure she wouldn’t have any financial problems during her trying time.
“In our office, we are trained and prepared to make sure we’re being empathetic toward everyone’s situation,” said Synder. “And that’s what we did with her, we made sure that we treated her as we would want to be treated in that situation.”
“You guys (NMCRS) not only got me home but you guys (NMCRS) made me feel comforted during that time,” said Laumoli.
The mission of NMCRS is 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; and to receive and manage funds to administer these programs. Worldwide, NMCRS disbursed more than $43 million in interest-free loans and grants in more than 61,000 financial relief cases in 2019.
NMCRS is a non-profit organization and doesn’t receive any funding from the government. Their programs and services rely solely on donations.
“100 percent of the funds go directly back to supporting Sailors, Marines and their family members during their time of need,” said Snyder.
The majority of NMCRS’s income comes from the Active Duty Fund Drive, or ADFD, on behalf of NMCRS.
The ADFD kicked off Wednesday, Jan. 26, and command representatives are beginning to make 100% contact with all active duty personnel.
Would you give up eating out one meal a month to support a fellow Sailor or Marine during their time of need?
This question was posed by Snyder who said giving up this one meal per month to NMCRS Rota could yield big results for the local community.
“For ADFD 2020, we have approximately 2,933 Sailors and Marines in Rota who can participate,” said Snyder. “The average tapas meal is 9 EURO which is $10.17 USD. What if every Sailor and Marine at Rota gave up one tapas meal a month to help a fellow Shipmate or Marine? That would be $10.17 a month or $122.04 per year, and that would bring our total contribution [for Rota] to $357,943.32!”
So whether you need financial assistance with car repairs, a flight home, funeral costs, or even just help with budgeting, NMCRS is here, just like they were there for Laumoli.
If you’re interested in donating, contact your command ADFD representative, stop by the NMCRS office in the Community Services Building (Bldg. 3293), or go online to www.nmcrsfunddrive.org/rota
| Date Taken: | 02.26.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2020 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 364011 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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