Government Shutdown – AvertedSupporting our Troops – Still a Good Cause

Last week, when a government shutdown seemed imminent, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann wrote on Facebook, “Current law prevents our military men and women from receiving their paycheck on time if government services are interrupted. Because of this discrepancy between the pay of our troops and Members of Congress, I will personally be donating my pay to a non-profit organization serving our military families.”

Drawing by Heather Burke, winner of the Armed Services YMCA art contest

Of course, the shutdown was averted. For the time being, American soldiers, sailors, and airmen are no longer hostage to the politics. But it occurred to me that supporting them and their families is still a good cause. The volunteers of our armed forces travel to the worst hellholes on earth, eat lousy food, go without sleep, and enter harm’s way to confront armed men who hate us, all to protect our freedom. Their families must fill the gaps left by the deployment of their fathers and mothers. They must heal the wounds, physical and psychological, of those who return, and grieve for those who don’t.

They are tough, resilient people, but like all of us, they need help sometimes. Here are some organizations that can provide it:

USO

From their website, http://www.uso.org:

Thanks to your generosity, the USO fulfills its mission of lifting the spirits of America’s troops and their families. Through the USO, you touch their lives through an extensive range of programs at more than 150 centers in 27 countries, and at hundreds of entertainment events each year. Thousands of USO volunteers do everything possible to provide a home away from home for our troops and to keep them connected to the families they left behind.

The USO makes sure your help goes to those who need it the most: troops serving in combat, their families, our wounded warriors and their families, and families of the fallen.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

From their website, http://www.nmcrs.org:

The mission of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society 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.

The Society provides need based financial assistance to eligible recipients in the form of:

• Interest-free loans and grants
  
• Scholarships and interest-free loans for education.
  

In addition, the Society offers the following services:

• Financial Counseling
  
• Budget for Baby Workshops
  
• Thrift Shops
  
• Visiting Nurse Services.
  

You can donate to these organizations at their websites. Please be generous with your support. Our military is certainly generous in supporting us.