Ark. Guard not using soldier-aid funds

Ark. Guard not using soldier-aid funds

The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Aug 24, 2009 5:13:03 EDT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A fund set up at the direction of state lawmakers in 2005 to receive donations from taxpayers for soldiers and their families has gone largely ignored by the Arkansas National Guard, despite a $65,000 balance.

The law setting up the Military Relief Trust Fund designated the Arkansas National Guard as the agency in charge of distributing the money gathered from people who checked off a box on their income tax returns authorizing the state to put $1 of their money into the fund.

The Legislature has appropriated to the National Guard $50,000 each year since 2007 to operate the fund. But neither the operating funds nor the donated money has been touched. The National Guard hasn’t even set up procedures for getting the money into the hands of needy soldiers or their families.

Command Sgt. Maj. Deborah Collins of the Arkansas National Guard said the money is not immediately needed, because a United Way fund provides loans and grants to needy Reserve and National Guard families.
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Ark. Guard not using soldier aid funds