CDS Military Families Fund

[Fraser.g]

Shared under fair dealings

Fund to offer financial help to military families
17/04/2007 10:21:22 AM 

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http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V2&showbyline=True&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20070417%2fmilitary_families_070417



We often think of the sacrifices our soldiers make when they're deployed overseas, but the families that are left behind also face extraordinary challenges.



Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier speaks with Canada AM on Tuesday, April 17, 2007. 
Now, a new fund is being set up to provide special assistance for them.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier is launching the CDS Military Families Fund Tuesday, which will allow ordinary Canadians to provide financial support to troops and their families.

"We have a significant public support to our families, but there are areas where we need ready money, where we need to look after people perhaps in a longer term... different way," Hillier explained to Canada AM Tuesday.

Hillier says the family members of soldiers don't volunteer for service, but serve they do. This fund is a way to offer those families support.

The fund would provide financial assistance to families for anything from short-term financial emergencies that occur when military members are deployed overseas, to longer-term assistance, perhaps to children who have lost a parent on operations or serving our country.

"As I used to say to my wife: nothing ever occurs when you're at home; things only go wrong when you're away. We also looked at this and said 'We need to better support our families.' And this is one of the ways to do it, to establish a military family fund."

The Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA), which provides programs and services for the Canadian Forces community, will administer the fund. Commanding officers of units would then determine what the needs of each individual are, and distribute help accordingly.

"What we would say is our commanding officers of units would have almost a traveler's cheque, if you will, so they could respond almost instantly as things go wrong, particularly when they're deployed around the world. And sometimes that's all required."

The funds for the program would come from public donations. Hillier says a plan for the fund has been in the works for a while and response has already been tremendous, with more than $100,000 donated.

"We're right at the start here, so we think that's an incredible beginning. We think we can build on that and we think Canadians will understand the need to support those families also," Hillier said.

The Canadian Forces says besides donating to the Military Families Fund, there are many other ways that civilian Canadians can support their troops.

They can donate money to the Canadian Forces Personnel Assistance Fund, the CF Hospital Comforts Program, Military Family Resource Centres, or Operation Santa Claus.

They can also buy official "Support Our Troops" merchandise, write letters of support to the troops or become a member of Canada's Reserve Force.

For inquiries about this fund or to make a contribution, please call 1-877-445-6444.

Cheques or money orders can be sent to:

CDS Military Families Fund
c/o Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency
4210 Labelle Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

 

[Spring_bok]

It is true what the Generals said to his wife, that nothing every happens when we are home.  My basement has flooded 3 times, my roof blew off and my driveway caved in.  I was away for all of them. 

 

[niner domestic]

I noticed that there was another thread that had the poster questioning whether the CF had become a charity.  I have decided to tell my story on this thread in the hopes that for some lurker/guest/member reading this thread that they will understand how funds such as this one are used. 

Now, my disclaimer is that my experience is contained to the aftermath of the Falklands and the loss of my daughter's father to a land mine.  How the CF fund will be distributed is yet to be seen but I'm fairly certain that it will follow the lines of the South Atlantic Widow's and the RN and RM Benevolent Funds.

I was 17 years old when the notification party filed up from the kerbside and gathered on my doorstep to tell me that my husband of one year and 4 months had been killed.  In my arms was his infant daughter who had just learned how to walk and only the day before had actually learned to say "daddy" instead of dada. 

I remember nodding graciously to the padre and welfare officer's advice and offers to be of assistance should I require to call upon them.  After the memorial services, I once again was counselled on what was available to me as a surviving spouse and then handed a notice to vacate the married quarters by the end of the month.  Those were very black days for my child and I.  The loss of my partner and child's father was unbearable, and the future wasn't looking too bright as I struggled to recovered from the death of my husband and the inability to articulate to my child what had happened to her father.  It was crushing to see her each night still kiss his photograph goodnight.  I now had the added stress of finding new accommodations. 

Then there was the kindness of strangers.  It usually occurs quite spontaneous and arises out of the generosity of a person's heart.  In this instance, private citizens started putting pennies and pound coins into jars left on the counters of corner shops and eventually those penny jars was given a name.  The South Atlantic Widow's and Orphan's Fund.  Pennies and pounds poured in during the conflict and as each family bore the weight of their grief, the citizens who were your average shop keepers, publicans, lawyers, bus drivers and coal miners dug deep and sent their pennies. 

Each child and surviving spouse of a fallen soldier, sailor, marine of the Falklands was given a lump sum in trust.  I set aside an education fund for my child as well as used the monies to acquire literature about the Royal Marines so that as she grew up, she'd be able to know her father vicariously through the books about his beloved service.  I also used the monies to visit the gravesite of her father when she was 10.  The fund paid for her music lessons as her father was a brilliant musician and she took after him.  It allowed her to once a year travel to the UK to attend either the Mountbatten Festival at the Royal Albert Hall where she had the opportunity to meet and speak with men that had known her father or she attended the Earl's Court when the RN and RM were the lead service.  Again, she had the opportunity to meet and speak with the men that had served with her father.  Once a year on the anniversary of his death the monies allowed us to make sure flowers were on his grave.  The monies also allowed her to visit her paternal grandparents in the UK.  But most of all the monies taught her that the kindness of strangers was a demonstration that it is best that the world could be. 

Because of that, she joined the CF and has often said that her duty is to protect those strangers who thought of her as a young child, she is adamant that she owes it to them. 







 

 

[simysmom99]

Niner, thank you for sharing your story.  I have tears in my eyes as we all know that I could have found myself in that same position just a short year ago. 
Through this past year I have gotten to know the Big Guy a bit better and gotten to spend time with his wife.  We are so fortunate to have folks of their calibre to represent our serving members and their spouses.  I have had conversations with them on this matter, and I have no doubt in my mind that the money will be put to exactly what Niner was describing.  This is for the families to ease the financial burden that can sometimes come along with service.  I have seen the generousity of Canadians first hand many times over this past year, and it never ceases to amaze me.  It is nice to have somewhere to point people when they phone or e-mail about how to support the families.

 

[PMedMoe]

Wonderful story, niner.  You must be proud of your daughter.  I know I am. 

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Very touching story niner domestic and thanks for sharing it with us.

And to your daughter, you are doing a great job in keeping your fathers memory alive and to help those that need help in these troubled times.


CHIMO!

 

[GAP]

Thank you

 

[Good2Golf]

Wow! 

9D, thank you, both for raising your daughter as you did and for her service to her country.

G2G

 

[battleaxe]

I noticed that there was another thread that had the poster questioning whether the CF had become a charity.  

niner domestic,

I was wondering if you could direct me to the thread you mention above.

This topic has been out of commission for awhile ( I couldn't find any more recent references to the Military Families Fund on search-though I may have missed it).  There are new commercials out promoting this program, however, that have people talking. I'd like to know what was said and what arguments were raised on the other thread you mentioned-the grumblings I'm currently hearing about the new commercials don't sound too positive.

Thanks,

Bren

 

[Kevin Pascal]

I was very pleased to see the creation of the Military Families fund. Knowing there are mechanisms in place to provide support to our families that are funded through donations by the Canadian people makes me feel better each time I deploy. I donate to it myself and hope others will see its value and show their support too.

 

[Gunner98]

niner domestic,

I was wondering if you could direct me to the thread you mention above.

This topic has been out of commission for awhile ( I couldn't find any more recent references to the Military Families Fund on search-though I may have missed it).   There are new commercials out promoting this program, however, that have people talking. I'd like to know what was said and what arguments were raised on the other thread you mentioned-the grumblings I'm currently hearing about the new commercials don't sound too positive. Thanks, Bren

Battleaxe: The Charity discussion is likely in this thread: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/42827.15.html