FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS — The 2025 Army Emergency Relief Campaign officially kicked off with a cake-cutting and program brief March 7 during lunchtime at the Solarium Buffet at the Frontier Conference Center.
AER is the Army’s non-profit charity that provides assistance in the form of grants and interest-free loans to service members and their families who are experiencing financial emergencies. AER also provides scholarships.
“This year we are going with the ‘250’ theme for the Army birthday, and we are asking, if you are willing, if you would like, to donate a minimum of $2.50 a month to AER,” Army Community Service Manager and AER Officer Reagan Sawyer told the noonday diners. “We do great things for our community; we do great things for everybody worldwide — there are some things that have been going on in our world with hurricanes and some fires, but this is what we’re here for.”
Fort Leavenworth Garrison Commander Col. Duane Mosier began his remarks talking about a fire that just a few days earlier on March 2 had displaced about 40 families living in apartments and destroyed the household goods of about 200 families whose property was being stored in warehouses at Fort Cavasos, Texas. AER is offering $1,000 grants to assist soldiers and families who have been affected by the fire.
“North of 200 families now are in need, and AER is right there helping them,” Mosier said. “This program, this campaign right now, this is exactly why we give. This is why this program is so important — because soldiers and their families are in need every day around the world.”
The local goal is for 25 percent of Fort Leavenworth’s active-duty soldiers to contribute to AER.
“I’m very proud today to donate,” Mosier said, who signed his AER pledge form before cutting a cake for the campaign kick-off. Mosier said he was also turning in a pledge form on behalf of Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Vanessa Sun, who was TDY.
Contributors can designate an allotment with the AER pledge form; make a contribution online; donate with cash, check, money order or PayPal; or specify a donation for AER at the register when they make their purchases at the Post Exchange and other Army and Air Force Exchange Service facilities.
Last year, Fort Leavenworth donated $60,017 to AER, but $180,000 AER funds were loaned/given locally. AER funds were loaned to Fort Leavenworth soldiers and family members last year for emergency financial issues such as emergency travel, car repairs, the first month’s rent after a PCS move and food insecurities.
For more information about the Army Emergency Relief Campaign and the assistance offered through AER, visit https://leavenworth.armymwr.com/programs/army-emergency-relief-aer or contact Financial Readiness Program Manager/AER Officer JoJo Woods at josephine.woods3.civ@army.mil or 520-716-4951.
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