The American Legion

In the 1920s, The American Legion began a national program of Temporary Financial Assistance to keep the children of deceased or disabled veterans at home rather than in institutions. This cash aid is still available for cases not covered by subsequent state and federal programs for the needy. In 2007 of eligible veterans, the TFA program provided more than $562,100 to 521 families, benefiting almost 1198 children.

Through TFA, a local post can call upon the national organization for cash assistance to help maintain the basic needs of veterans' children. The TFA fund has been used to assist families in meeting the costs of shelter, food, utilities and health expense items when the parents are unable to do so, thereby keeping the child, or children, in a more stable home environment.
TFA Case Studies

Not being able to work due to an operation on his shoulder, a 20 percent disabled veteran and his two minor children were in financial difficulty. The mother of the children had abandoned the family, providing no support. While the family was receiving Food Stamps and assistance with their rent, they had fallen behind on the electric bill, and there was a good chance it would be cut-off. While a Service Officer was working to upgrade the veteran's disability claim, the Temporary Financial Assistance program stepped in and paid the electric bill, assuring the children would have a safe and warm home in which to live.

A Persian Gulf War veteran, with two minor children and a 17-year member of the Air Force National Guard, was discharged due to a disability he received while on active duty. When he was granted 50 percent disability VA benefits, he was informed he would have to repay thousands of dollars received as severance pay upon his discharge, reducing his monthly benefit to a paltry $182 a month. This amount, however, coupled with the minimum wages received by his wife, put the family $6 over the income limit to receive food stamps. In addition, the family had fallen behind in their rent. The Temporary Financial Assistance program provided rent money sufficient to ward off eviction as a service officer worked to increase the disability claim with the VA and assisted the veteran in filing for Social Security benefits.

Sometimes the Temporary Financial Assistance program simply provides dollars to help the parents with the general health and welfare of the children. Such was the case when a Coast Guard veteran was discharged with a very serious skin disease developed from exposure to chemicals used in his military trained maintenance position as an airplane mechanic. He was hired by civilian companies, because of his military training, but was again exposed to chemicals similar to those that caused the original problem. As a result, it was finally determined he would have to be retrained through the VA Vocational Rehabilitation program. The veteran's wife was a substitute teacher, and the income from this work was sporadic, at best, and the family was falling behind financially. Assistance was provided to give this family a hand up until the veteran was enrolled in the Vocational Rehabilitation program.