 ARMED FORCES
EMERGENCY SERVICES
The
Red Cross keeps military personnel in touch with their families following
the death or serious illness of a family member or the birth of a child or
in response to other family emergencies. Red Cross emergency messages
provide military personnel and their commanders with fast, reliable
information to help them make decisions regarding emergency leave,
deferment, compassionate reassignment, and dependency discharge.
When
an emergency arises that requires the presence of the service member or
his or her family, the Red Cross may provide access to financial
assistance, either as an interest-free loan or as a grant for travel
expenses. Financial assistance is provided to service members who have a
demonstrated need for funds for such things as emergency travel, burial
assistance, or urgent health and welfare needs such as food and shelter.
These funds are made available by the military aid societies. Referrals to
specialized sources of help are also available to service members and
their families.
The
Red Cross offers counseling, information, referrals, and other social
services to military families. Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services
workers are neutral personnel to whom military persons or family members
can go for confidential problem solving.
If
a hardship exists within your immediate family that cannot be resolved by
an emergency leave, the Red Cross can counsel the family or service member
on how to request either a humanitarian reassignment closer to home or a
hardship discharge. We'll help you understand the procedures and
documentation needed. Final decisions on these applications are made by
military authorities.
The
Red Cross provides assistance and information to veterans about the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans
of the Armed Forces are provided transportation to and from medical
appointments at either of the Veterans or local hospitals as personal
needs dictate.
There
are many elderly outpatient veterans living in Morris and Warren Counties. Many of
these veterans require transportation assistance to the hospital for their
medical appointments. This demand for transportation will continue into
the future and it is expected to increase as other veterans reach a point
where they can no longer safely drive themselves to these appointments. At
this time, the
American Red Cross of Northwest New Jersey can accommodate a small percentage of
incoming requests because of limited vehicles and volunteer drivers.
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