Up to $3 Million in Financial Assistance Established for California National Guard Families

Los Angeles — A new Financial Assistance Fund of up to $3 million is now available to members of the California National Guard and their families to address unmet needs due to service in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The grant was awarded by donors of the Los Angeles-based California Community Foundation.  “Our more than 1,300 donors have a variety of issues about which they are passionate,” said foundation spokeswoman Misty de Lamare. “The foundation’s role is to help them support the causes they care about most.” 

An initial $250,000 will be made available to the newly established California National Guard Financial Assistance Fund (Financial Assistance Fund) to increase awareness of Guard financial aid programs and for direct grants to the approximately 21,000 California National Guard personnel who are (or have been) on active duty in Afghanistan or Iraq.  An additional $2.75 million may be available over the next seven months.

When a Guard member is called into active duty, his or her family may incur a significant loss of income and unanticipated expenses. An existing California Military Family Relief Fund (Family Relief Fund) provides up to $2,000 to qualifying National Guard families, helping them pay mounting medical bills, housing costs and other unmet needs. The new Financial Assistance Fund, to be administered by the State of California Military Department, will address needs that exceed the $2,000 limitation of the Family Relief Fund.
 
The $250,000 grant will be used in part to increase outreach to families at each California National Guard unit and facility.  Information about the two financial assistance programs will be made available, as well as a third program, the Chaplain’s Fund, which provides one-time emergency aid of up to $600.00. According to a January 30, 2006, Los Angeles Times article, only 18 applications for assistance under the Family Relief Fund had been received at that time, which underscores the need for outreach to the target population.

Established in 1915, the California Community Foundation is one of the largest and most active philanthropic organizations in Southern California, with assets of more than $800 million. In partnership with its donors, the foundation supports nonprofit organizations with funds for health care, affordable housing, childhood education, community arts and other areas of need.