Decorated War Vet Resolves $11K Debt with Help from ARM Industry Charity

Sergeant Leon Edwards gave seven years of dedicated service to the United States Marine Corps, including three tours of duty in Iraq. During that time he earned no less than a dozen awards and decorations, including an Iraq Combat Action Ribbon, an Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medals, several Unit Commendations, and others.

Upon his honorable discharge in 2009, Leon returned home with service-related disabilities, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. His near-total disability rating made finding employment a challenge that has proven nearly impossible to overcome. Unfortunately, his VA benefits have not sufficiently covered his monthly expenses.

It didn’t take long for his financial situation to spiral out of control. Once Leon separated from the Marines, he was not working or attending school, and his benefits had not kicked in, so he was forced to live off credit cards for a while. With penalties and interest, his delinquent debt quickly grew to more than $11,000 and was assigned to a collection agency working on behalf of the major credit card issuer that had extended Leon the credit. With seemingly no way out, Edwards applied for a grant with ARMing Heroes (www.armingheroes.org), the collection industry’s charity for military veterans.

Edwards was approved for a grant. But it didn’t end there. Upon award of the grant, an ARMing Heroes volunteer gained permission to speak with the agency on his behalf, and documented to the agency and the creditor his military service and near-total service-connected disabilities. Because of Sgt. Edwards’ service, the agency’s willingness to communicate the facts to their client, and the creditor’s established policy of considering requests for reduced settlements involving disabled military veterans, the grant amount all but covered the settlement offered by the creditor.

Edwards received the good news just before the holidays last year, and had this to say:

“Thank you for your generous grant to help me with the reduction of my credit card debt during these strenuous times. I can now get a good night’s sleep instead of staying awake worrying about my financial situation. My family and I are extremely grateful for the ARMing Heroes organization. We appreciate all that it has done to help not only myself, but the thousands of other veterans struggling financially who feel as if there is no place to turn.”

About ARMing Heroes

ARMing Heroes was founded and began operating in March, 2009.  The organization’s mission is to serve the needs of U.S. military veterans, including their spouse and children. ARMing Heroes fills a charitable niche by linking people identified with employment, credit, and financial counseling needs with the accounts receivable management industry, an industry uniquely poised to help in these areas.  Persons interested in volunteering their time and others interested in applying for benefits or pledging other forms of support are encouraged to contact the organization at www.armingheroes.org.

What Can I Do Right Now to Help?

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