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Fund Gives Reservist Some Relief Back Home: Aiding Military Families is Aim

Posted on: Thursday, 23 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Lee Hill Kavanaugh, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Mar. 23--He survived seven deployments to hot zones around the world.

But all those patches on his uniform meant nothing when Army Reserve 1st Sgt. Jeffery Blaine returned after 12 months in "Mortar-ritaville," otherwise known as Balad, Iraq. He came home last year to a messy divorce and a looming bank foreclosure on his home.

"In Iraq I only had to worry about two things: staying alive and keeping my soldiers alive," said Blaine, part of a Belton-based Reserve unit. "Coming home was hell."

But a moment of fate, or perhaps good luck, came his way. While walking through an armory, he saw a brochure for the Missouri Military Family Relief Fund.

Thanks to help from the relief fund, Blaine said Wednesday at a news conference at the Liberty Memorial, "When I go home tonight, I know my home is mine."

The fund offers assistance to families of deployed Guard and Reserve troops with financial difficulties. The state-administrated program was created in August when Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder signed the bill into law.

Beginning this fiscal year, Gov. Matt Blunt has dedicated $200,000 to "priming the pump for it," Kinder said at the news conference. So far the fund has received at least $42,000 in private donations.

Kinder said he hoped people would consider donating to the fund through a check-off box on the state income tax form.

"You could take one minute to say thank you to your neighbor or your church member or relative who has served or is serving their country," he said.

Each request is decided by a panel of military men and women from different branches.

Kinder said the program was "not charity, but rather heartfelt thanks to these citizen soldiers. ... There's a lot more Sergeant Blaines out there."

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To reach Lee Hill Kavanaugh, call (816) 234-4420 or send e-mail to lkavanaugh@kcstar.com .

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri)

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