The Royal Canadian Naval
Benevolent Fund (RCNBF) was established in 1942, to help relieve distress caused by illness,
accident or other misfortunes by providing loans or grants to former naval personnel and their spouses
who are in need of
financial assistance. The Fund’s Board
of Directors are concerned that not all individuals eligible for assistance
under the Fund’s mandate may be aware of how it could help them or indeed, of
the Fund’s existence! Chief Petty
Officer (Ret’d) Jim Anderson, the Fund President, has
advised us that the Fund has recently embarked on a public relations campaign
to get the word out to those people who might qualify for assistance.
The public relations campaign includes publishing of
articles in Veterans organizations’ newsletters
and magazines, distribution of
explanatory bulletins to various associations to which former naval personnel
and Merchant Navy veterans might belong, speaking engagements at meetings and
other forums of such associations, inclusion of explanatory bulletins with
VAC disability and CFSA pension statements etc.
Those eligible for assistance include former members of the Naval Forces of Canada; serving and former members of the Canadian Forces who served in Maritime Command since February 1, 1968; the Merchant Navy War Veterans, and dependents of any of the above.
In the past,
the Fund has helped people buy such necessities as clothing and food, and pay for medical, dental, optical, surgical
and prosthetic services. It also provides
assistance for home repairs and funeral
costs and to replace belongings destroyed
by fire. In addition, a bursary program for dependant children attending
college, university or a vocational
institution may be available if other options such as government loans
have been exhausted.
The Fund is
maintained by donations from serving and ex-service personnel, civilian friends and Naval
organizations, as well as investments. Eligibility
for a loan or grant through the Fund is determined on an individual basis.
For further information, please
visit the RCNBF website,
www.rcnbf.ca, or directly at:
(613) 996-5078
1-888-557-8777
email: rcnbf@sympatico.ca