Stories

Disclosure: the names of people and locations have been protected to maintain anonymity.

Story 1

A Leading Seamen who lives with his wife and daughter in Nova Scotia asked for financial assistance with outstanding utilities bills. The sailor was posted ashore to attend to his wife who was being treated for cancer. His wife had not been able to work, adding to financial stress. After losing his sea duty allowance, expenses were growing to the point that the budget was operating at a deficit.  Examples of additional expenses included transportation cost to the hospital, gas, and parking.  Inflation was also taking its toll.  The RCNBF provided a grant to help them with utilities, transportation costs, and other related costs for his wife’s care.

Story 2

A Master Seamen from Ontario had been discharged for medical reasons. He requested a grant to pay for one month’s rent and a child support payment, as he had no income until his pension and SISIP commenced, which can take months. Unable to yet find work, he was the sole financial provider in the family and had no savings to get them through this period. The RCNBF provided him with a grant for his financial need.

Story 3

A Nova Scotia RCN veteran suffered a stroke while in Ontario and was hospitalized for several weeks. His daughter had to take time off from her job to be with him and to arrange his return to Nova Scotia for rehabilitation. Costs for travel, hotels, food, etc. were substantial, and some home repair was also needed to make entryways safe. The applicant’s bank account was in overdraft and his daughter had to borrowed money and use all available credit. The RCNBF approved a grant to reimburse the extra ordinary expenses incurred by the applicant and his daughter. Relieving some of the financial stress went a long way towards his path to recovery.

Story 4

A naval Lieutenant from Ontario applied for assistance to consolidate debts. She was suffering from difficult financial hardship because of a divorce that left her with substantial legal fees and other bills. She was managing, but the high interest rates and minimum payments were making financial stability a long, costly and stressful process. The RCNBF gave her an interest free loan to consolidate her debts which stabilized the financial burden and reduced stress.

Story 5

A naval veteran from Ontario and single father requested assistance with dental treatments for his young son. He could not afford to get the work done and the medical need was clear.  He did not have insurance nor was he capable of receiving loans from lending institutions. The RCNBF provided him with a grant for the dental work.

Story 6

An Able Seaman veteran from Nova Scotia experienced a business failure that resulted in financial problems due to lost income.  This crisis resulted in a temporary financial shortfall where they could not afford monthly child support.  The RCNBF committee approved the loan to cover child support, which helped the family get back on their feet and ensure the child received the committed funding.

Story 7

A veteran and his spouse from Ontario requested financial assistance to replace the roof on their home. Leaks that were not fixed resulted in damages beyond simple repair.   They could not get the financing they needed from lending institutions as their income was low.  The RCNBF committee approved a loan at a rate and monthly payments they could afford.

Story 8

A naval veteran widow lives with her disabled son in Newfoundland and asked for financial assistance to cover necessary bathroom renovations. She has mobility problems and her healthcare professional recommended that with modifications she would be safe. She had received a grant from the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corp but there was a shortfall in funds for the labor. She and her son have very little money and could not afford the labor costs. The RCNBF provided a grant to pay for the labor involved with the renovations.

Story 9

A Leading Seaman serving in Quebec needed help with debt. He moved from Nova Scotia to Quebec because of a legal issue involving his family. Lawyer fees surrounding child custody and costs associated with the move had put a strain on his finances. Unable to get help from other agencies, and as a charity of last resort, the RCNBF approved an affordable loan to help him recover from his financial difficulty.

Story 10

A naval veteran from British Colombia needed his hearing aids replaced. He had been turned down by other agencies even with appeal. He had a very small monthly surplus, and could not afford the hearing aids on his own. The RCNBF committee funded the hearing aids through a grant.

Story 11

A navy veteran widow living in Alberta could not afford dental treatments. In addition to the much-needed procedures, she had several teeth pulled and was in need of a bridge. The RCNBF approved the grant for dental work which put a smile back on her face and enabled her to eat properly thus improving her health and quality of life.

Story 12

A retired veteran lives in a care facility in British Colombia. His wife requested financial assistance to purchase for her husband a CPAP machine that was prescribed by his doctor. This is a device used to treat Sleep Apnea and is not covered under the provincial health care plan. He had use of a used CPAP machine that was given to him by the care facility but it was broken beyond repair. His wife and child live in the family house, so money was tight and they could not afford the device. Not having the CPAP reduces quality of life significantly and could cause death in some cases. The RCNBF committee approved a grant to purchase the CPAP machine for the veteran.

Story 13

The widow of World War II veteran from British Colombia requested financial assistance to pay for the cost of hearing aids and glasses. She had recently lost everything in a house fire and had no insurance. Following the fire, she was moved to a center for seniors and her finances made replacing these necessities impossible. The RCNBF approved a grant for the purchase of the hearing aids and glasses.

Story 14

A retired Master Seaman in British Colombia requested assistance to help with debts. He lived in rental accommodations with his wife and disabled child. He was medically released from the Navy and his injury left him unemployable without retraining. He was undergoing vocational rehabilitation through university courses with the plan that obtaining a specialized degree will increase his chance of finding quality work. A combination of a grant and loan was approved to consolidate his debts and relieve the monthly deficit, which reduced the stress on his family at this difficult time.