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Services to the Armed Forces - American Red Cross

786 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209

Eligibility
Active duty service members stationed in the US or overseas and/or family members residing with them; family members of an active duty service member who does not reside in the service member's household; Department of Defense Civilians assigned overseas and family members residing with them; members of the National Guard or Reserves; military recruiters; MEPS military personnel; and veterans. Basic Financial Assistance: Eligibility for financial assistance is determined by each branch of service's aid society that is supported by the American Red Cross, not by the American Red Cross or the military branch. Aid societies differ from each other in determining who is eligible for financial assistance and under what circumstances. Generally, the following categories of individuals may apply for assistance to their respective military branch's aid society:
  • Active duty military personnel and their eligible family members
  • Retired military personnel and their eligible family members
  • Widow(er)s and other eligible family members of deceased service members (active or retired)
  • Reserve and National Guard service members activated under Title 10, U.S. Code, and their eligible family members
  • Family members summoned by military authorities to the bedside of an ill or injured service member
Member Groups not eligible for military aid society assistance:
  • Veterans discharged from the military who are not retired from the military
  • Participants in college or university ROTC programs
  • Civilians and their family members (except as noted above)
  • Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (CCPHS) unless serving with the Coast Guard
  • Uniformed members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Service Area: WNY.
Hours
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
(800) 766-1401
Voice·

Toll Free

(800) 733-2767
Voice·

Blood Donation Appointments

(716) 886-7500
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Buffalo Chapter Main Number

(716) 878-2353
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FREE Smoke Alarm Installation

(877) 272-7337
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Armed Forces Emergency Services

Application process
Provide as much of the following information about the service member as is known when calling: full name, rank/rating, branch of service, social security number, date of birth, and full military address.
Fees
Free.
Service area
Genesee County, NY Cattaraugus County, NY Wyoming County, NY Niagara County, NY Orleans County, NY Erie County, NY Chautauqua County, NY
Provides emergency communications services to keep military personnel in touch with their families following the death or serious illness of an immediate family member, the birth of a service member's child or grandchild, or a family emergency. No matter where a military member and their family are stationed, notifications will be delivered in times of emergency or crisis. Emergency notifications with verified information assist commanding officers in making decisions regarding emergency leave, without which the service member in question may not be able to come home during a family emergency. Basic Emergency Financial Aid is available for eligible military personnel, retired military personnel, and family members. Basic Emergency Financial Aid is able to assist with:
  • Emergency travel and related maintenance (such as auto repairs, flights, etc.)
  • Basic living expenses in times of crisis (such as assistance with food, utilities, rent/security deposit, bills (non-credit), moving expenses, etc.)
  • Funeral and burial expenses
The American Red Cross works under partnership agreements with the Air Force Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society to provide quality, reliable financial assistance to eligible applicants 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Types of assistance include financial assistance for emergency travel, burial of a loved one, assistance to avoid privation, etc. The Casualty Travel Assistance Program (CTAP) provides travel assistance for two immediate family members to attend a memorial or funeral service for a service member killed in active duty in a combat zone or to travel to the bedside of a service member wounded in a combat zone. Assistance includes funding for round trip airfare, lodging costs, food, and incidental costs.
Last assured
11/14/2024
Providing organization
American Red Cross in Western New York