Service to the Armed Forces (SAF)
Mission Statement
In keeping with the American Red Cross Mission of helping people in crises, service to the Armed Forces will keep American Families in touch with their loved ones around the world.

John Pinter, Regional Executive Director

American Red Cross

St. Joseph County Chapter

3220 E Jefferson Boulevard

South Bend IN 46615

(574) 234-0191

(574) 234-0194 fax

(574) 904-7914 cell

Services Provided
The Porter County Chapter is required to provide emergency services to members of the military and their families. Service to the Armed Forces caseworkers are on call 24 hours a day in order to deliver emergency messages to military personnel and their families. The Porter County Chapter also helps to facilitate financial assistance from military aid societies in the form of loans and grants.

Emergency Messages For Service Members
If you are a Porter County resident and need to send an emergency message to a service member, please call our office (9 am - 4 pm) at 219-462-8543 or outside office hours call 574-234-0191 or 574-514-3360.

When you call to send an emergency message, have the following information ready:

•complete military identification of the service member such as rank
•name (be sure to use the member's full legal name, as listed in military records, not a nickname)
•social security number
•branch of service
•military address

Red Cross communication services are provided when verified information is needed quickly by:

• Family members who are not able to contact a service member when a family crisis occurs, or when regular communication patterns between service members and their families have been disrupted.
• Service members who are concerned about a situation at home and are unable to contact their family, or who need verification of a family situation to make a decision regarding a leave request.
• Military authorities who must make decisions about leave for a service member.

The majority of messages will fall into one or more of these categories:

• BIRTH NOTIFICATION: A verified statement of the birth of a service member’s child.
  
• DEATH NOTIFICATION: A verified statement that a specific person has died.
  
• LEAVE OR EXTENSION OF LEAVE: A request made by a service member to military authorities for leave or extension of leave already granted.
  
• DOCTOR’S INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT (DIS): A statement, in layman’s terms, from a recognized medical practitioner about the medical condition of a service member or a family member.
  
• FINANCIAL PROBLEMS: A verified statement of financial need.
  
• PERSONAL OR FAMILY PROBLEMS: A verified statement of other problems that are creating a hardship on the service member or family.

The Porter County Chapter is currently collecting names and addresses of enlisted service people, their families, veterans and their families to participate in Holiday Mail for Heroes! Our chapter will receive cards from people around the country wishing the service people, veterans and their families a happy holiday. The cards will be distributed with the help of Pitney Bowes, our corporate sponsor. If you have a family member, friend or know of a service person in need of some holiday cheer, please email the name and address to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and place Holiday for Heroes in the subject line. The chapter will collect the names and addresses and will mail the cards to the address. Call 219-462-8543 for details.