Bethesda Group Raises Funds For Military Families In Need

A Bethesda non-profit focused on helping families in need launched a new campaign geared at military families this week.

Mercy for Me provides financial help for those suffering from illness and injury, or victims of natural disasters, both at home and abroad. Some of the group’s recent efforts include traveling to Joplin, Missouri, to aid victims of devastating tornadoes, and organizing a water campaign for victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. The group hopes to soon partner with companies to create assistance funds for employees in need.

Now, Mercy for Me has been chosen by the Global Giving Campaign – a group that connects local charities with donors – to participate in the Open Challenge, a fundraising competition for participating charitable groups across the country. For the Open Challenge, the group is raising funds for Military Guardsmen and National Reservists in need throughout the month of August. Donations will benefit the group’s newly minted Military Heroes Hardship Relief Fund. Members of Mercy for Me kicked of the campaign this week with a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. – a portion of which will soon be relocated to Bethesda.

The fund is aimed to help Military Guardsmen and National Reservists who may lose income when deployed overseas, or who may not be able to find work upon returning home, according to a statement.

“We’ve got a lot of reservists and people in the National Guard making a really big sacrifice for our country, and a lot of them make a lot less money than they do in their civilian jobs,” said Jason Bryan, director of program outreach at Mercy for Me. “Our goal is to help them bridge that gap. We’re also putting emphasis on the wounded soldiers that come home and definitely need help."

Donations can be earmarked for items like rent, groceries, medical expenses or utility bills for military members and their families. Visit Global Giving’s website to donate.