Nonprofit dedicated to most needy of military families seeks donors for holiday season, continues support for families through Christmas season with Sharing the Joy program
SAN DIEGO, CA (DEC. 9. 2013) – A nonprofit organization dedicated solely to providing emergency financial grants to young military families in need, the Support The Enlisted Project (STEP), today issued an appeal for donors to help boost efforts to come to the assistance of military families in crisis during the holidays. Military families whose service members are in pay grades E1 to E6 must deal with annual salaries that sometimes fall far below the average median income for Southern California. The situation is even worse for service members who have been discharged from the military within the past twelve months. They, and their families, have lost virtually the entire military support network available to active duty members.
“This is a story that needs to be told,” said Karla Winter-Schulz, President of STEP. “The fact of the matter is there will be military families in the Southern California area this Christmas who will be in great need of financial help to get them through an unexpected hardship. We are committed to helping families throughout the year, but when a financial crisis hits during the holidays, it is especially tough on these young families. We need financial donors willing to help us assist people who have dedicated their lives to military service.”
While seeking financial contributions, STEP will continue with its Sharing The Joy program that links military and veteran families in need with civilian families and corporate sponsors throughout Southern California. The program was overwhelmed with applications and is full for the 2013 season. Generous donations from civilian and corporate sponsors allow military and veteran families to receive a variety of gifts and essential items during the holidays and help ease additional financial burdens during one of the highest expense seasons in the year.
“We are working hard to expand our holiday Sharing the Joy program for next year, but this is another example of our need for financial support,” said Winter-Schulz. “We are realistic and we know there are many worthy organizations out there. Ours just happens to be dedicated to young families serving our country and who are often misperceived as ‘taken care of’. Financial donations allow us to help them during this special time and throughout the year.”
Individuals, companies or organizations wishing to help military and veteran families in financial need during the holiday season can make a donation at stepsocal.org or email: [email protected] for more information on how you can make a difference.
Support The Enlisted Project is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to exclusively serving Southern California’s enlisted families in pay grades E1 to E6 whether on active duty or within the first 12 months after honorable discharge. STEP provides emergency support to families who face unexpected financial crisis resulting in the family’s inability to sustain crucial living expenses. STEP has earned a four star rating for excellence and accountability from Charity Navigator as well as the Guidestar Exchange seal for its long history of accountability and transparency.
Contact: Karla Winter-Schulz
Phone: 858-695-6810
Web: stepsocal.org
