Red Cross Urges Oregon National Guard and Reserve Units to
'Get to Know Us Before You Need Us'
Staff from
the Oregon Pacific Chapter of the American Red Cross are making visits to
National Guard and Reserve facilities throughout its five-county region to talk
with military members of National Guard, Reserves and their families. Below is
some general information on Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces. Click here
for Deployment Tips for Military Members and Their Families
You're
never out of touch; around the clock, around the world, you can depend on the
American Red Cross. Servicemen and women know they can count on the Red Cross
to help them stay in touch with their families and offer assistance when
emergencies arise. Every 11 seconds, the Red Cross helps a current or former
member of the armed forces or one of their family members. 40,000 to 50,000
messages go out every year!
Reporting and Emergency Communications:
In the
event of an emergency, critical accident, illness or death in a service
member’s immediate family, the Red Cross should be called at once. The Red
Cross is equipped to verify the situation and relay an emergency leave request,
if necessary, to proper military authorities. It is up to the commanding
officer to decide whether or not to grant a leave.
Emergency Financial Assistance:
When an
emergency arises requiring the presence of the service member or their family,
the Red Cross may provide an interest-free loan or a grant for travel expenses.
These funds are disbursed on the basis of need. Budget counseling is also
available to service members and their families, as are referrals to
specialized sources of help.
Information, Referral and Advocacy:
The Red
Cross also helps military families cope with non-urgent problems by
confidentially providing information, referral, and guidance. These services
include helping military families receive assistance from other agencies and
provide assistance with arranging family support.
Health and Welfare Inquiries:
Regular
communication between service members and their families is ordinarily no
problem, but sometimes a long time with no word can be worrisome. The Red Cross
can help. Through our worldwide communications network, we can communicate with
the installation or ship where the service person is stationed. You’ll get a
report on their welfare to give you peace of mind. Also, service members can
request the same service related to families back home.
Nobody ever
said being in the armed forces was going to be easy, for yourself or your
family. Adjustments have to be made, problems solved, stresses and tensions
resolved, and separations dealt with.
To
contact an SAF caseworker, please call 1-888-737-4306
(in case this number does not work, contact the Oregon Pacific Chapter at 541-344-5244) or email Brian Newton.
Honoring our Military this Veterans Day
When Milissa was 24 weeks pregnant,
she made what she considers one of the most important phone calls of her life.
It was to the Red Cross.
During a routine ultrasound, her
doctors told her there were complications with the baby. All she could think
about was how badly she needed her husband, Juancarlos-but he was stationed in
Iraq, thousands of miles away.
Milissa called the Red Cross for
help in reaching Juancarlos. Watch this video clip about how the American Red
Cross helped Milissa and Juancarlos connect during one of the most important
moments in their life.
