Coast Guard Families Affected by Looming DHS Shutdown Eligible for Emergency Aid from Operation Homefront

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Emergency financial and other assistance will be available to uniformed members of the U.S. Coast Guard in the event that a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) forces these service members to work without pay.  Congress and the President must reach agreement on funding for DHS, which includes the Coast Guard, before funding for the Department runs out on Saturday.  If not, Coast Guard members would be among the essential DHS employees required to work without pay until funding is restored.

The national nonprofit, which has provided emergency assistance to military families since its founding shortly after 9/11, has caseworkers standing by to support Coast Guard families with assistance to pay for emergency needs like food, rent, and utilities.  Families of Coast Guard members can apply for assistance online at OperationHomefront.net or call 877-264-3968 with questions. Operation Homefront provides emergency financial assistance primarily to service members at grades E1 to E6, lower and mid-grade enlisted, the lowest paid members of our military.

"The Coast Guard is an essential component of our national defense, and the men and women who report for duty to protect our country should have the peace of mind that they and their families will have our support regardless of a funding impasse in Washington," said Tim Farrell, Chief Operating Officer for Operation Homefront. 

Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance in the form of grants, not loans, usually paid directly to the service providers of military families in need.  The nonprofit is implementing assistance for Coast Guard families whose financial hardship is directly caused by the loss of pay on the same eligibility basis as deployed service members for the duration of the shutdown.

Areas of emergency assistance provided by Operation Homefront include:

• Financial Assistance
• Food Assistance
• Rent
• Utilities
• Home Repair & Home Items

About Operation Homefront:  A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers with nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of military families since its inception in 2002. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity watchdog groups, nationally, 93 percent of total donations to Operation Homefront go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.

SOURCE Operation Homefront

Related Links

http://www.operationhomefront.net