COVID-19 Emergency Assistance
The Coronoavirus, COVID-19, is impacting Florida’s veterans, active duty military members and their families. As many organizations are being forced to close their doors, our veterans are unable to work and provide an income to support their families.
PROJECT: VetRelief, a program of The American Legion, Department of Florida is teaming up with the Florida Veterans Foundation to support those who are affected by this pandemic. PROJECT: VetRelief has an established program that supports our service members during an emergency and uses the state-wide infrastructure of the Florida Legion to facilitate our application process.
We are anticipating that we will be see a substantial increase in the number of applications requesting assistance over the next few months. However, we are committed to doing what we can to support Florida’s active duty military members, veterans, and their families, but resources are limited.
We are grateful for the Florida Veterans Foundation and their efforts in putting together a campaign to support those service members who are experiencing a hardship during this time. Both programs are privately funded and are not equipped to fund the expected demand of our veteran community and will rely on the support of corporations and individuals.
Please find it in your heart to donate so that we can make a greater impact and support all service members who need us during this chaotic time.
How to Apply for Assistance
How to Apply for Assistance:
updated guidelines effective 3/20/2020
Existing Guidelines:
- Veteran, Active Duty Military, or Immediate Family Member (Spouse, Legal Guardian, or Child)
- Acceptable Discharges: Honorable or General Under Honorable Conditions
- Florida Resident for minimum of 120 Days
- Show Sustainability – balance of income and expenses
- Experiencing an unforeseeable emergency
- Provided for necessities: shelter, utilities, food (in the form of a gift card), and some transportation and medical expenses
- Funds are granted one-time annually per household
Additional process for COVID-19:
- Applicants who are experiencing loss of income must show proof via pay stubs or letter from employer.
- Phone interview with local VetRelief Advocate will be accepted for the safety of our volunteers.
- To avoid depletion of funds, a monthly cap of financial assistance will be put in place. Once the organization reaches cap, funds will only be available through the resources we receive from the Florida Veteran Foundation.
Donate
How to Submit
How to Submit:
Please send the application, DD-214 (member 4 copy), proof of temporary/permanent layoff due to coronavirus, and the bill for which you are requesting assistance to: aid@legionmail.org or by fax (407) 299-0901.
For the safety of our staff and volunteers, our office is closed to outside visitors. Therefore, we will not take any walk-in appointments or applications that are hand-delivered.
Download Application
How You Can Help
How You Can Help:
PROJECT: VetRelief has partnered with the Florida Veterans Foundation on raising funds to accommodate the increased needs of our veteran community. Please donate so that together we can assist all those who need our support.
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