SafeAmerica Contributes to Armed Services Relief Effort

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

When U.S. troops are deployed to foreign lands, the last thing they should have to concern themselves with is how their bills will get paid. SafeAmerica Credit Union, at 6001 Gibraltar Drive, is showing its support for the troops by collecting donations for armed services relief agencies, complying with the Soldier and Sailors Civil Relief Act, and hanging yellow ribbons to help Hacienda tenants and residents remember those who are serving in the U.S. armed forces overseas.

"We have a box downstairs for collecting funds that we'll be sending off to the Army Emergency Relief, Navy-Marine Relief Society, Air Force Aid Society, and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance," says Robin Hauan, Vice President of Marketing for SafeAmerica Credit Union. The donation box is part of "Operation: Helping Hand," a program instituted by the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) to have its members purchase and distribute brochures to its members describing the financial hardships faced by many of America's 450,000 military personnel now deployed around the world. NAFCU will donate all net proceeds from "Operation: Helping Hand" campaign in equal amounts to the four relief agencies. In addition to distributing the literature, SafeAmerica is also collecting donations directly.

The Soldier and Sailors Civil Relief Act (SSCRA) is a federal law designed to provide protection to active duty military personnel from certain civil obligations. Passed during World War I and later re-enacted during World War II, the Act provides coverage to qualifying members of the military, including Reservists and members of the National Guard, while serving on active duty until 30 to 90 days after the date of discharge from active duty. Under the SSCRA, a member of the military on active duty can receive relief from foreclosure and have the maximum interest rate for credit cards, mortgages, and certain student loans capped at a maximum of 6% if the obligation originated prior to active duty. SafeAmerica is making efforts to ensure that its members in the military are aware of the SSCRA.

While collecting donations and supporting the SSCRA are effective in providing financial relief to active members of the military, other efforts by SafeAmerica are more emotionally supportive. "We encouraged people in Hacienda to put yellow ribbons up and gave the ribbons away to residents and tenants who wanted them," Hauan says. "The credit union next door participated as well as some other Hacienda businesses. We put yellow ribbons up all over our facility and theirs to show our support."

Photo: SafeAmerica's Rose Jenneiahn stands with a photo of her son, Pfc. Troy Jenneiahn, who is now serving with the 101st Airborne in Iraq.

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