Arkansas Reserve Components Emergency Relief Fund

Arkansas Reserve Components Emergency Relief Fund (ARRC-ERF) Commander’s Guide

Purpose: The Arkansas Reserve Components Emergency Relief Fund (ARRC-ERF) was established to provide short term, emergency financial assistance in the form of loans or grants to Arkansas Reserve Component members and /or families impacted by mobilization and deployment. All funding for the ARRC-ERF is received by charitable donations. ARRC-ERF is the Arkansas Reserve Components’ own emergency financial assistance organization and is dedicated to helping Arkansas Reserve Components take care of our own. ARRC-ERF provides a valuable means to assist and improve the morale and welfare of Arkansas RC members.

Background: ARRC-ERF was established in October 2003 by a donation from the United Way to assist Arkansas Reserve Components members/families in times of crisis caused by mobilization and/or deployment, when the situation can reasonably be expected to be remedied with a one-time loan or grant. The ARRC-ERF is not a State Agency or Federal entity. The ARRC-ERF Board of Directors set policy and has the responsibility to oversee the operations of the program and approve all grants or loans. The Board consists of a member from the Arkansas Army National Guard, the Arkansas Air National Guard, the Army Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, the Naval Reserve, the Marine Corp Reserve, and a representative of United Way of Arkansas. The lead RC representative is the Arkansas Army National Guard who has the responsibility to handle the day-to-day administrative requirements of the operation.

Eligibility: Any current member of a reserve component unit located in Arkansas is eligible to request assistance from the ARRC-ERF. The RC member’s service must verify that the applicant is currently deployed, scheduled to deploy, or is returning from mobilization and deployment. The ARRC-ERF requests that the applicant explore all resources (family, community service organizations, churches, etc.) before making application for emergency assistance. The RC member may be referred to a financial counselor or representative from the State Family Readiness Program office for additional financial counseling based on the recommendations of the board reviewing the request.

Funds Administration: As mentioned above, the requested financial assistance must be to solve a crisis situation. A crisis is defined as “an event beyond the control of the RC member or a family member that requires assistance that is not available from any other reasonable source.” Additionally, the financial assistance should remedy a one-time problem, not an ongoing situation. If an applicant’s monthly cost of living notably exceeds their income, no one- time infusion of financial assistance will solve the problem. A large percentage of available funds are designed to provide immediate cash to RC members or families who are waiting to receive military pay or reimbursements that have been delayed. These situations are handled as a temporary, interest free, loan. Examples of situations that could qualify are:

 Delay in receiving pay or reimbursement from the government.  Temporary shelter, lodging or rent.  Emergency utility assistance, i.e. electric, gas, water (not telephone, cable or Internet Service Provider)

1 05/18/18  Emergency transportation and vehicle repair.  Costs incurred for emergency travel due to death of immediate family member.  Any special circumstance as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

Examples of things that would not typically qualify are:

 Payment for nonessential items or services  Finance ordinary leave or vacation  Payment of fines or legal expenses  Liquidation or consolidation of debt  Assistance with down payment on a home purchase or home improvements  Funds to purchase, rent or lease a vehicle  Cover bad checks

Application Procedures: The RC member or family member’s first step will normally be to contact the unit First Sergeant or Company Commander or Full-Time Staff of the unit. If these personnel are not available, contact should be with the service member’s ARRC-ERF representative. Personnel may also contact someone in the Rear Detachment or the Family Readiness Office or local Family Assistance Center to assist in the process. A RC member’s spouse can act on their behalf if they have a properly executed Power-of-Attorney and a valid ID card.

The soldier in need, family member or unit representative on the soldier’s behalf, will complete the application form and submit in electronic message to request assistance. Submission of the application electronically will ensure that the ARRC-ERF Board can review and provide the projected goal of a timely response to the applicant. It is preferred that the request be prepared and forwarded to the specific service representative. Each service representative is provided in this information. The requestor will provide the application electronically (by email) so that the request can be emailed to all ARRC-ERF board members. This will help expedite the process. The request should contain, as a minimum:

 Description of the circumstances or events that caused the financial emergency  The purpose or bills that the loan/grant will be used for  The amount requested  Whether the request is for a loan (indicating projected ability to repay), or a grant (the soldier’s situation is such a dire emergency that repayment within a reasonable time cannot be predicted).  Any explanation or attempt to remedy the situation by the soldier or the lack of other options or resources (savings account, family assistance, other organizations).  Name, rank, social security number, unit of assignment, home address, and phone contact numbers.

When forwarding the application request, a unit representative should include information regarding the service member’s standing in the unit, mobilization status, and any additional information in reference to the service member’s situation, especially when a delay in military pay is the cause for financial crisis.

Approved by ARRC-ERF Board 28 Jan 2004 2 05/18/18 Applicants may be required to provide verifiable proof of the need and other supporting documents. If a loan is the assistance provided, the service member or applicant will need to be prepared to work out a budget to repay any loan with the ARRC-ERF account representative. At a minimum the following items should be brought to that meeting:

 Military or Dependent ID Card  Leave and Earnings Statement and any proof of other family income.  Substantiating documents (car repair estimate, rental agreement, utility bill, etc.)

Type of assistance available: The type of assistance approved is at the discretion of the Board. Most assistance is in the form of an interest free loan, however it is possible to also receive a grant (an outright gift of funds). A combination of loan and grant is also possible. Upon approval, the funds may be paid to the service member or applicant or may be made payable direct to a creditor, at the discretion of the Board.

Response Time: The applicant can typically expect a decision within 24-48 hours, once the service representative receives the application. If approved, funds are usually available within 24 hours after approval. If a no interest loan is approved, the applicant will be asked to sign a Promissory Note upon receipt of the funds and a repayment date will be established.

Repayment: Repayment of a no-interest loan should be made by cash or money order payable to the “AR RC Emergency Relief Fund”. Payment should be mailed or delivered to the Arkansas National Guard MWR, Attn: Ses Abbit (ARRC-ERF), Camp Robinson (Box 930), North Little Rock, AR 72199-9600. Service members receiving loans may make repayment in a number of small, incremental payments, made on a consistent basis. This will in most cases be easier for the service member, rather than expecting to make one lump sum payment at the end of the loan period. All service members receiving a loan should be aware of their obligation to make good on the Promissory Note they sign. Repayment allows the fund to continue to help other service members in need.

ARRC-ERF Fund Sources: Funds are received via individual or corporate donations. Primary sources of funding are donations made through the United Way. All funds received by the ARRC-ERF go directly to helping Reserve Component Members and/or their families.

ARRC-ERF Service Information Phone Numbers:

AR Army National Guard: (501) 212-5032 AR Air National Guard: (501) 987-5952 AR Army Reserve Personnel: (501) 771-7855 AR Air Force Reserve Personnel: (501) 987-3313 AR Marine Corp Reserve Personnel: (501) 771-4323 United Way Inquiries/Donations: (501) 376-4567

Approved by ARRC-ERF Board 28 Jan 2004 3 05/18/18