Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Aids Sailors, Marines at MCAS Yuma

When a sailor or Marine stationed at MCAS Yuma faces an unexpected medical bill, a sudden need to travel home, or a gap in basic living expenses, there is a private nonprofit on base whose entire mission is to step in. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, known as NMCRS, operates an office inside Marine Corps Air Station Yuma at Building 645 on Narr Avenue, and it has been doing so as part of a global network that now spans more than 200 installations worldwide.

Founded in 1904, NMCRS is the oldest of the military aid societies, created to provide financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the Naval Services, their eligible family members, and survivors when in need. Since its founding, the organization has distributed over $2 billion in financial assistance to more than 5 million active-duty and retired sailors, Marines, and their families.

The range of situations NMCRS covers is broad. The Yuma office accepts applications for assistance covering emergency travel for death or serious illness of family members, basic living expenses, essential car repairs, payments and insurance, and medical and dental co-pays, among other needs. Using donated dollars, the society helps clients cope with immediate financial emergencies through interest-free loans and, sometimes, grants, with trained volunteers on staff who assess needs, provide financial counseling, and offer possible referrals to other agencies.

Beyond emergency relief, NMCRS offers educational programming designed to help military families build financial stability. That includes the "Budget for Baby" program, a free workshop that helps expectant parents plan financially for a new child, as well as visiting nurse services. The visiting nurse makes hospital visits at Yuma Regional Medical Center for military members and their families, and conducts prenatal, postoperative, and postpartum home visits on an appointment basis.

What makes NMCRS structurally distinct from many military support programs is how it is funded. It is a private, nonprofit, volunteer service organization whose primary mission is financial, educational, and need-based assistance to active-duty and retired Marines and sailors and their families, financed entirely through donated dollars. Every year during March, the Department of the Navy hosts its annual Active Duty Fund Drive in support of NMCRS.

Volunteers are the engine behind daily operations. Highly trained volunteers make up over 90 percent of NMCRS's workforce. Society volunteers greet clients, schedule appointments, interview and process requests for financial assistance, conduct budget counseling, present financial instruction for expectant parents, and sort and display items for the thrift shop. NMCRS at MCAS Yuma is actively accepting professional volunteers to assist service members and eligible family members, with training provided and childcare covered while volunteering; interested individuals can contact the office by email at yuma@nmcrs.org, by phone at (928) 269-2373, or in person at Building 645.

The NMCRS office at MCAS Yuma is located on Narr Avenue, Building 645, Room 213, Yuma, AZ 85365, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call (928) 269-2373; emergencies are seen immediately without an appointment, and after-hours emergency financial assistance can be requested through the American Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces. More information and donation options are available at nmcrs.org.