The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army Emergency Relief program will host its campaign kickoff at French Theater Friday, Feb. 22, from 9-10 a.m.

The campaign is about educating people about the AER program and allowing servicemembers to continue to donate to other servicemembers that have experienced an emergency situation and needing valid emergency assistance, keeping with the motto and part of the Army tradition of "Soldiers helping Soldiers" and "Helping the Army take care of its own."

Donations to AER are tax deductible and can be made with a personal check, allotment, cash, credit or debit card online.

This is the 77th year of the AER campaign, which provides servicemembers and their families with emergency financial assistance in the form of interest-free loans, grants or a combination of both, during valid emergencies requiring immediate assistance. The program also provides scholarships for military spouses and children. It also gives undergraduate-level education scholarships, based primarily on financial need, to children of soldiers, spouses of active-duty soldiers and Gold Star spouses.

In 2018, JBLM's AER provided soldiers and their families more than $2.2 million in assistance to our JBLM soldiers and families.

For more info, visit: jblm.armymwr.com/programs/AER or sign up to attend the event at eventbrite.com/o/jblm-directorate-of-personnel-amp-family-readiness-8283872016.