On Monday, officials held a kickoff event for their Army Emergency Relief Campaign.

AER offers soldiers zero-interest loans for dozens of emergency situations that may put them at financial risk.

Officials said not many know about the loans, but Staff Sergeant Kurtis Brown said it’s a valuable resource for service members.

”When I first did it in 2013, it was kind of an embarrassment, because I was going to get help and as a man it’s a sense of pride,” he said. “You feel like you should have this stuff already taken care of. The second time I went, I’m a little older now, and I am glad that that help was there.”

AER assistance is funded through donations, with 90 cents out of every dollar going to soldiers.

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