MILITARY FAMILIES   AMERICAN RED CROSS                                                            954-763-9900   Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES)   Counseling - Offers counseling, information, referrals, and other social services to military families. Services workers are neutral personnel to whom military persons or family members can go for confidential problem solving.   Emergency Communicaitons - Keeps military personnel in touch with their families following the death or serious illness of a family member or the birth of a child or in response to other family emergencies.   Emergency messages - Provide military personnel and their commanders with fast, reliable information to help them make decisions regarding emergency leave, deferment, compassionate reassignment, and dependency discharge.   Emergency Financial Assistance - May provide access to financial assistance, either as an interest-free loan or as a grant for travel expenses when an emergency arises that requires the presence of the service member or his or her family. Financial assistance is provided to service members who have demonstrated need for funds for such things as emergency travel, burial assistance, or urgent health and welfare needs such as food and shelter.   Humanitarian Reassignment and Hardship Discharge - If a hardship exists within an immediate e family that cannot be resolved by an emergency leave, the Red Cross can counsel the family or service member on how to request either a humanitarian reassignment closer to  home or a hardship discharge. They will help understand the procedures and documentation needed.   Veterans - Provides assistance and information to veterans in the preparation, development, and effort to obtain evidence to support claims for financial benefits through the Board of Veterans Appeals.