USA Cares
562 N Dixie Blvd., Suite 3, Radcliff, KY. 40160, (O) (270) 872-4422, (F) (270) 352-5456, www.usacares.org
USA Cares is a 501c (3) charitable organization that addresses the critical and unmet needs of post-9/11 military families. We have responded to over 70,000 requests for emergency financial help with $11.5 million in granted assistance. USA cares operates four core programs:
USA Cares – Core Programs:
Combat Injured: With the increased exposure to combat stress, there has been a dramatic and steadily growing number of service members suffering with post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). They require extended treatment to heal. The VA covers treatment, but not lost wages. A significant number of these service members are under-employed or employed with companies that can’t pay them while they get treatment. Our Combat Injured program pays their basic expenses – mortgage/rent, food for their family and home utilities – enabling them to receive treatment and be assured their family is taken care of.
Jobs Assistance: Employers are reluctant to hire Reservists or Guardsmen who may again deploy or require follow-up care due to their injuries. This program combines public/private partnerships to enable veterans to attain higher-paying career oriented jobs. If necessary, we pay a service member’s essential expenses while they train for a new job and we relieve any financial barrier that keeps them from getting a new job or career. This may include the cost of moving their family across country to a new job, buying tools required for a new job or travel and lodging expenses for job interviewing.
Housing Assistance: We directly pay the landlord or mortgage lender when bills are past due and caused by a military service-related incident such as a prolonged reduction in pay for Reservists or Guardsmen, or extended delay in compensation by the VA to injured vets.
Emergency Assistance: This program pays immediate, essential bills, including food and utility bills. We have paid a bill while the utility company truck is in the driveway ready to shut off a family’s lights. We, again, focus on those cases where the financial stress is related to military service. USA Cares has saved over 3,000 military homes and kept nearly 2,600 children from being homeless.
USA Cares typically receives between 300 and 350 requests per week and assists these emergencies with between $25K and $30K weekly. What is most impressive is that in most cases, when USA Cares is contacted to provide assistance we are able to triage the request and have a check mailed or a credit card payment made within 48 hours.
What makes USA Cares different from other charities?
- A grant, not a loan. USA Cares provides grants while many other military groups provide loans, which only compound a bad situation. The military family is never asked to pay the grant back.
- Leveraging other Assistance – USA Cares mobilizes other organizations to join in providing assistance, maximizing the impact of your donation. For every one dollar in assistance given by USA Cares another we estimate that another eight dollars is found with ancillary resources to benefit the family.
USA Cares has received support from several major foundations and corporations, including the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Restaurants and CKE Star Foundation, the Walt Disney Company, Delta Dental, Meadows Foundation, the McCormick Foundation, the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund, the HBO Network, Humana, Foundation for Financial Planning, USAA, and Brighton stores.
For years to come, post-9/11 military families will face unique challenges due to their service to our Nation. If you would like to learn more about USA Cares, please go to www.usacares.org.
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