It’s March. That means it’s time for the annual Navy Marine Corps Relief Society’ annual fund drive.

This year’s coordinators are Ensign Shirley Barraclough and Chief Electronics Technician Michael Ruckhaber from NAS Whidbey Island.

Although they are aiming to beat last year’s donation total, over $226,000, their goal is to ensure 100 percent contact with all base personnel. So everyone has the chance to contribute in one way or another. So be ready to hear from your command representative and give what you can.

Right out of the gate, the NAS Whidbey Island First Class Petty Officer Association is managing the 50/50 Raffle with tickets available all month long from its members. This is a great way to donate. Half of all money collected for raffle tickets goes to NMCRS. The other half goes to a lucky winner if his or her ticket is drawn at the end of the month.

Relief Fund Represent-atives are placing “spare change” donation jugs in key locations throughout the base to help everyone both contribute and quiet the noisy pocket jingling as they go throughout their day.

NMRCS has several programs available to Sailors and Marines focused on helping families manage finances and providing financial support for emergency situations. For instance, Budgeting for Baby can help parents get and stay on the right financial family track. The Society has budgeting programs for almost every other life-changing event and they are a valuable resource for loans or grants for those personnel in need of some extra cash in a time of crisis.

The visiting nurses program sponsored by NMCRS makes “house calls” for mothers with newborns, retirees and widows/widowers who need the extra care. The NMCRS Thrift Store and furniture loan programs are also helpful for newly arriving personnel. These are only a few things that NMCRS does for our community.

Last year NMCRS provided Sailors and Marines with $680,407 of assistance, nearly $50,000 of it was as grants that personnel did not have to pay back. NASWI raised $226,387 dollars of the total amount last year, national NMCRS made up the difference.

The fund-raising effort will close with a golf tournament on April 8, sponsored by Fleet Readiness Center Northwest.

Please feel free to contact the NMCRS office at (360) 257-2728 if you need their help or just want to ask a question.

For Relief Drive questions, please contact your command’s representative or Barraclough at and Ruckhaber at .