Military life often comes with financial surprises, especially if your service member is ill or injured.
It's not just the big stuff like the initial medical problem, but those nagging, little day-to-day things that the military may not help cover but would make life so, so, so much easier.
They are things like giving an iPad to a service member with memory problems caused by PTSD or TBI, or getting a little financial help when the world starts caving in, or finding a camp where you can send your struggling military kid.
Those are just some of the things that the Semper Fi Fund does, Wendy Lethin, a Marine Corps spouse and vice president of the organizations to Military.com in 2015.
When the Semper Fi Fund first started it was to largely assist seriously injured and ill Marines and their families from the hospital forward. In 2012 the founders expanded to help members of the other services while giving a fresh focus across both organizations on assisting with transitions and caregiver concerns.
"Our caregivers are 24/7 and they're tired, they've been doing this for sometimes as long as 10 years," Lethin said. "And we're recognizing if they're going to keep going they are going to need some support and resources."
The organization sends caregivers to retreats as well as organizing local support groups -- all aimed at making sure they have the care they need, she said. And because the Fund is run by military spouses, they have an insider perspective on caregiver issues.
On Veterans Day 2018, financial membership site MoneyLion will match dollar-for-dollar all donations to the Semper Fi Fund. And through the end of the year, MoneyLion will make a donation to the Fund each time a military member joins their site.
Lethin said the organizations exist to fill the gaps for the families of injured and ill service members. All a family needs to do is call with their problem and they will be able to work with someone to walk them through help.
Since May 2004, the Semper Fi Fund has helped 22,000 service members and given out $185 million in assistance through more than 175,000 grants. They've given out about 95 grants per day with over 74 percent of that help going to families of E-5 and below.
To see if the Semper Fi Fund can help your family with a need, go here to find their phone number and give them a call.
