ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 18, 2015) -- Army Emergency Relief, or AER, opened its annual campaign, March 1, with the theme: "Army Emergency Relief - Making a Difference."
The campaign runs through May 15 with the goal of creating greater awareness of the benefits of AER as well as providing Soldiers the opportunity to donate to their fellow Soldiers.
"Making a difference is a great theme at many levels for this year's campaign," said AER's director, retired Army Lt. Gen. Robert Foley. "For leaders, it provides incentive for creating an environment that encourages Soldiers to embrace AER when faced with an unexpected financial emergency. For Soldiers, it provides reinforcement that AER will always be there when needed for financial assistance."
Army Emergency Relief is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to Soldiers, active and retired, and their Families. Since it was founded in 1942, AER has provided more than $1.7 billion to more than 3.6 million Soldiers, families and retirees.
Last year, AER provided nearly $74 million in assistance to more than 51,000 Soldiers and Families, which includes $8.8 million for 3,500 scholarships to spouses and children of Soldiers.
Soldiers needing AER assistance can either contact their unit chain of command, or go directly to one of the 78 AER sections at their nearest Army installation. Additionally, AER has reciprocal agreements in place with the other military aid societies.
Soldiers and Families not near an Army installation can also receive AER assistance at the nearest Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard installation with the respective military aid society, or from the American Red Cross call center at 877-272-7337. Additional program information is available at www.aerhq.org.
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