•Financial Assistance

•Skill Donors•Referrals•Disaster

Assistance

•Adopt-A-Unit•Troop and Family Support Activities

•Grants

•Free Call Days•Free Virtual Pins

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•VFW’s Sport Clips Help A Hero

Scholarship Program

September through August:

NMS provided support to over 1,244,000 military members and their families.

MAP events hosted almost 200,000 service members and their families at over 210 morale-boosting events.

Operation Uplink provided almost 738,000 connections for deployed troops and hospitalized veterans.Also provided 244,832 guests with free Wi-Fi at

Edelweiss Resort, Germany Unmet Needs assisted over 260 families with grants

totaling almost $400,000 in assistance.

FY 2012-2013 RECAP

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Wounded Warrior, USO, and Fisher House are all good programs. However, NMS is your VFW program and relies on your support!

Encourage Departments, Districts and Posts to donate to National Military Services instead of individual programs.

This allows funds to be used where needed most.

Programs can’t continue without your support!

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Send donations to NMS:

Make check payable to National Military Services

Mail to: VFW, 406 W. 34th Street, Suite 216, Kansas City, MO 64111

Call NMS for credit card donations over the phone at (816) 968-1155

Go online to www.vfw.org/contribute

MAKE SURE YOUR NMS DONATION COUNTS!

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Make sure your online donation counts! Head to www.vfw.org and:

4.

2.1.

3.

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Help NMS spread our success stories!

Sign up for the bi-weekly NMS Update at www.vfw.org.

Share the stories with the members of your Post and community.

Send pictures and information about your troop support activities.

NMS UPDATE

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REPORT, REPORT, REPORT!!

Report your Post, District or Auxiliary activities to your NMS Chairman.

Last year, NMS supported over 1 million military, veterans and their families but we know this number is far below the actual assistance you’ve provided.

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Contact: Darcie JonesEmail: Uplink@vfw.org Phone: (816) 968-1155Operation Uplink forms and information available at: www.vfw.org/NMS 9

Since 2006, Free Call Days have connected over 7.3 million calls.

Continuing to provide at least three Free Call Days monthly at over 450 MWR SPAWAR locations throughout Afghanistan and other Middle East locations.

Calls are free to the US, and landlines in other US home base countries, i.e.: Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy etc.

Free Call Day schedule is available at www.vfw.org/NMS.

DSN line access codes are provided for service members outside of Afghanistan/Kuwait for participation in the scheduled Free Call Days.

FREE CALL DAYS

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Free Call Days will continue into 2014 with a minimum of 3 scheduled dates each month.

The 2014 Free Call Day schedule is available at www.vfw.org/NMS.

Interested in sponsoring a Free Call Day? Contact Linda Ferguson at Lferguson@vfw.org

FREE CALL DAYS

DOMESTIC VIRTUAL PINS

Operation Uplink is sending virtual pins to VA hospitals, medical centers and deployed service members without Free Call Day access in lieu of domestic calling cards. Provides 100 minutes of talk time per pin. VFW Posts and Ladies Auxiliary members must

complete request form to receive bulk virtual pins.

Individual pin requests must include service member’s email.

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Above is an example of a list of pins to be emailed. They are preset to print on plain paper to cut apart or on Avery Labels # 5160 to peel off and stick on the back of your VFW/Ladies Auxiliary business card.

DOMESTIC VIRTUAL PINS

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Front of Card

Back of Card

EXAMPLE OF VIRTUAL PINS

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Sport Clips Help-A-Hero Scholarship ProgramSport Clips’ commitment to our

veterans and their families continues even with the drawdownof troops in Afghanistan.

Beginning January 2014 Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program will provide scholarships of up to $5,000 to help our veterans complete their educational goals.

Application are available online only at www.vfw.org.

Contact National Military Services with questions!

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Sport Clips Help-A-Hero Scholarship ProgramScholarship Eligibility

Applicants must be:

US Citizen

Active duty, retired or honorably discharged or a member of the National Guard or Reserves

Military Rank of E-5 or below

Demonstrate a need for financial assistance

Participate in, be accepted to or currently enrolled in a VA approved program or school

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Contact: John LinstraEmail: MAP@vfw.org Phone: (816) 756-3390 ext. 211All MAP applications and info available behind the log in at: www.vfw.org

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The Military Assistance Program (MAP) is the core NMS program that promotes VFW involvement and interaction with the local military community.

Provides an opportunity to educate military and their families about the VFW and NMS programs.

Since 2007, MAP has hosted nearly 2 million military and families at over 2,100 events!

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MAP Grants are available to VFW Post and Auxiliaries who participate in military unit functions such as:Deployment/Welcome Home eventsFamily Days and Holiday partiesFRG meetings

MAP funds are based solely on donations and our procedures help MAP assist as many service members and families as possible.

Contact the MAP office for guidance-we’re here to help you through each step of the MAP Grant process!

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MAP GRANTS

Helpful suggestions for a successful MAP Grant request: Review and follow all MAP Grant procedures.

Complete each line of the MAP Grant application.

Make sure to include the total budget amount which includes

all costs associated with the event.

MAP Grants provide basic food and beverages for ONLY the

military and their families.

Current MAP events average $3.25-$3.50 per person.

The MAP office acknowledges each application received! If

you haven’t heard from us contact us!20

MAP GRANTS

ADOPT-A-UNIT Adopt-A-Unit enables VFW Posts and Auxiliaries to forge a

connection with the local military community before, during and after deployment.

Supporting our troops is the top priority for NMS! Out of 54 VFW Departments, 5 don’t have a single military unit adopted through MAP’s Adopt-A-Unit program.

There are currently over 820,000 Guard and Reserve members nationwide.

Over 2,300 units have been adopted since 2007 BUT only 542 are active. Encourage reporting to NMS!

There is a HUGE opportunity for the VFW to support your military.21

As the conflict in Afghanistan winds down and more of our deployed service members return home, it is vital that VFW Posts and Auxiliaries use MAP’s Adopt-A-Unit program to continue supporting our military!

Instead of planning deployment/welcome homes, work with your local units on:

Family Days

FRG Meetings

Patriotic Holidays

Now is a great time to develop relationships with your local National Guard and Reserve Units!

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Community Outreach Activities

Parades

Park Clean-ups

ADOPT-A-UNIT

VFW Posts and Auxiliaries who have conducted and reported 5 different types of activities on behalf of their adopted unit.

As of Aug. 2013—147 VFW Posts and/or Ladies Auxiliaries have qualified for “Best of the Best” out of 542 Post and Auxiliaries current/active in the Adopt-A-Unit program.

The VFW Departments with the most Posts and Auxiliaries in the “Best of the Best” often have the smallest military population.

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BEST OF THE BEST

Memorial Commendations are an expression of the VFW and its Auxiliary’s condolences to a fallen soldier’s family. Certificates are presented to the family by a VFW member as an offer of support.

The commendation is a professional certificate with the appropriate branch of service emblem enclosed in a vinyl portfolio.

Available for the families of service members killed in action in current conflicts.

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MEMORIAL COMMENDATIONS

NMS office emails DOD notices as they are released to the NMS Chairman, Department Commander and Adjutant.

To request: contact NMS@vfw.org.

Information needed:Deceased service member’s full name and rankBranch of serviceDate of memorial service (if known) Name and address to whom the Commendation should

be shipped

MEMORIAL COMMENDATIONS

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Contact: Johnathan DuncanEmail: Unmetneeds@vfw.org Phone: (866) 789-6333Unmet Needs application and information available at: www.vfw.org/NMS

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Created in 2004 to assist military service members and their families experiencing a financial hardship directly related to their military service.

Provides grants up to $2,500 for qualified service members and their families.

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Unmet Needs pays for basic life needs such as: mortgage, rent, repairs, insurance, utilities, food and clothing. Grants are paid directly to the “creditor”

company and not to the individual. Hardship cannot be due to mismanagement of

funds, civil, domestic matters, or legal issues. Application process takes approximately 5-10

business days after all required paperwork is received.

Each case is reviewed individually and acceptance is determined by a committee.

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Department Assistance:Applicant needs immediate assistance.Department verifies eligibility and need.Contact NMS for pre-approval.Submit a completed Unmet Needs

application for reimbursement with copy of check.

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If all three criteria are not met, then the applicant is

not eligible.

Unmet Needs

Application-Page 1

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DISASTER ASSISTANCE The VFW Unmet Needs program proudly stands ready to assist our

service men and women when they are burdened by natural disasters out of their control (tornadoes, fires, floods).

Service members or veterans must have: Served on active-duty title-10 orders within the past 36 months. Submit a completed ONE PAGE application. Experienced a state-declared natural disaster which has damaged or

destroyed their primary residence. Assistance does not apply to vehicle damage or vehicle insurance

deductibles. Total loss of the primary residence: $500 Power loss or damage to the home: $300

Application must be received within 30 days of state-declared natural disaster. 32

NMS FORMS AND INFORMATION

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REPORT, REPORT, REPORT!!

Report your Post, District or Auxiliary activities to your NMS Chairman.

Last year, NMS supported over 1 million military, veterans and their families but we know this number is far below the actual assistance you’ve provided.

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