Naval Station Rota kicked off the 2018 Secretary of the Navy Active Duty Fund Drive (ADFD) on behalf of Rota's Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) in the base galley Feb. 27.

Every year during March and April, NMCRS launches the ADFD to ensure service members know the services and programs available to them and to raise funds for those programs.

This year's goal for Naval Station Rota and its tenant commands is $157,373. In 2016, Rota's NMCRS processed 404 cases and provided $520,326 in financial assistance to the base community, including the Airmen, Soldiers and their families. The Visiting Nurse Team had more than 1,630 patient contacts and the NMCRS Thrift Shop served more than 4,800 customers.

"Although we are kicking off the fund drive now, the support we provide is there for Sailors, Marines and their families year-round," said Shelley Marshall, NMCRS chief development and communications officer. "The Active Duty Fund Drive carries about 50 percent of our revenue stream each year. The remaining revenue comes from donations, the repayment of the interest-free loans and our thrift shop."

Rota NMCRS offers financial assistance and counseling, quick-assist loans, education assistance, health education, post-combat support, budget for baby, emergency travel, disaster relief and the popular Visiting Nurse Program.

"I strongly believe in this campaign and I contribute every year," said Cmdr. Neil Hoffman, Naval Station Rota executive officer. "I love seeing a nice healthy number on my LES at the end of the year to see how much I donated to charity. It makes me happy to know that I am helping out Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines."

"All of our programs and services are available to retirees," said Marshall. "We don't stop offering to help just because you retire."

Donations to NMCRS are crucial because all their funds come from internal sources, not from the Department of Defense or the Department of the Navy. If you are interested, donations can be made in the forms of check, cash or allotments straight from your account.

"Regardless if we meet our goal or not, the society will never limit the amount of assistance we provide to Sailors and Marines," said Marshall. "You will never get turned away if you come to us. We will meet every available, legitimate need."

Contact one of the ADFD representatives if you have questions or need more information. You can also access the Rota ADFD website at http://nmcrsfunddrive.org/rota/contact/.

"I have used NMCRS twice in my career," said Cannon. "I took the Budget for Baby class for each of my two kids. The class was great and we still use some of the items we receive as a gift. I've also been able to pay it forward and give some of those items to friends and family as a gift for them to use. Whatever you can contribute is greatly appreciated and will go to good use."

To reach out to Rota NMCRS for any of the services and programs they provide, please send an email to rota@nmcrs.org.

Founded in 1973, Rota NMCRS is a full service office with management oversight for four shore-based emergency service offices in Lisbon, Portugal; Stuttgart, Germany and London and Digby, in the United Kingdom, as well as oversight for four ship-based emergency service offices. In addition, Rota NMCRS provides assistance to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families located at embassies and some of the other military installations within the European and African theaters. NMCRS Rota is run by dedicated, trained and caring volunteers, supported by one paid full-time director and a part-time nurse.

Naval Station Rota enables and supports operations of U.S. and allied forces and provides quality services in support of the fleet, fighter and family for Commander, Navy Installations Command in Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA).

Just as a ship performs lines of operation that provide a capability, Navy Region EURAFSWA bases perform the same eight lines of operation to provide capability to the fleet and joint and allied forces. These eight lines of operation are: air operations, port operations, safety, security, MWR, Fleet and Family Services and what is called the core; the fuels, water and power that keep the bases running. Through our lines of operation, our installations are force multipliers that maximize the combat capability of operational units.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visit www.navy.mil/.