Families of Troops Deployed to Africa Ebola Mission are Eligible for Assistance from Operation Homefront

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Emergency financial and other assistance will be available to the families of U.S. service members deployed to West Africa to fight Ebola on the same basis as those deployed to combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, Operation Homefront announced today. 

The national nonprofit, which has provided emergency assistance to the families of deployed service members since its founding shortly after 9/11, has caseworkers standing by to assist military families with assistance to pay for emergency needs like food, car and home repair, and rent and mortgage payments.  Families of deployed service members can apply for assistance online at OperationHomefront.net or by calling 877-264-3968.

"The U.S. military remains the worldwide rapid-response force whether facing a military foe or natural disaster, and they are in need of our support," said Tim Farrell, Chief Operating Officer for the organization.  "Our service members have shown enormous courage and flexibility to face any threat, and we are going to be equally flexible to ensure that while they are deployed for this humanitarian mission, we are back home taking care of their families."

About 540 active-duty troops are now deployed to Liberia, helping the Liberian government and U.S. health agencies fight the outbreak.  President Obama has issued an executive order allowing the call-up of National Guardsmen or military Reservists to join the effort, which the Pentagon has said may grow to a total of 4,000 U.S. personnel.

Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance in the form of grants, not loans, usually paid directly to the service providers of military families in need.  Normally, eligibility for this assistance for deployed service members is contingent on a service member being physically located in a combat or combat-support theater; or if not in-theater, assigned to a ship for greater than 30 days and either en route to theater, forward deployed, or conducting seagoing missions - but not on a training status.  Operation Homefront is implementing assistance for this mission recognizing the unique stress that these deployments will present our military families.

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.

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SOURCE Operation Homefront

Related Links

http://www.operationhomefront.net