Threat of disasters signify importance of NEF donations
The American Legion’s National Emergency Fund (NEF) provided more than $365,000 in grants to 348 recipients recovering from natural disasters in 2017. More than 300 of those grants were related to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
NEF provides immediate grants to American Legion members, Sons of The American Legion members and posts that have been affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods and more. Donate to NEF here. www.legion.org/donate
Members in good standing may receive up to $3,000 and posts may be granted up to $10,000. To apply for an NEF grant, visit www.legion.org/nef.
NEF covers expenses such as temporary housing, food, water, clothing and other daily household items. To qualify for an NEF grant, an applicant must:
• Have been displaced from his or her primary residence due to damage sustained during a declared natural disaster.
• Provide copies of receipts of items required to meet immediate needs, such as temporary housing, food, water, clothing, diapers, etc.
• Be an active member of The American Legion or Sons of The American Legion at the time of the disaster.
An updated NEF brochure is available for departments, posts and members to download here.
In the spring, the change in weather means tornado season will threaten areas in the Midwest, Southeast and the Plains. And later this summer, the Eastern Seaboard will be keeping a close eye on what has been predicted to be an above-average hurricane season.
Legionnaires in the 9th District of Texas know how devastating a hurricane can be. Last August, Hurricane Harvey roared through Wharton, pummeling the town with rain for 48 straight hours.
“Everyone in the district suffered,” said District 9 Commander Charles Miller, who personally delivered NEF grants to affected Legionnaires in the rural area southwest of Houston. “The NEF checks helped a lot. I am very proud of all the members of my district for all that they have done. Everybody helped everybody else.”