If your answer isn't listed below, don't hesitate to fill out the contact form!
Our support goes beyond emergency relief and handing out essential supplies. Families work one-on-one with certified financial social workers to build long-term financial wellness.
Our financial counseling, personalized finance plans, and support programs are open to all military and Veteran families - regardless of rank or separation date.
Emergency financial support is available to:
STEP offers support programs designed to offset expenses, provide essential resources, and connect families to our long-term solutions.
We’re headquartered in San Diego and guarantee service for families across California, Washington, and Oregon officially - but we have served families across 47 states and counting. We are expanding nationally over the next decade and will continue to add more states to our guaranteed service areas.
You can subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media (@teamstepusa), or check out our blog!
Emergency funds (grants - not loans) are available to E1–E6 service members and Veterans within 18 months of separation who are facing the loss of a critical basic need such as housing, transportation, or utilities.
Click any “Apply for Help” button to start your application. You’ll be asked to upload basic documentation, like your LES, but everything should be easy to access.
Only service members, veterans, and their spouses are eligible to apply for the program.
No - STEP provides direct payments to third-party vendors (like landlords, automotive companies, utility companies, etc.), and there’s no repayment.
You’ll work one-on-one with a certified financial social worker to create a customized finance plan based on your situation and goals.
Once you submit your application, a social worker will be assigned within 3–5 business days (usually 3).
We don’t pay off unsecured debts or offer loans, but our social workers are very good at helping create a plan to manage and reduce debt.
You don’t have to be in crisis to apply. If you’re a military or Veteran family looking to improve your financial wellness, we encourage you to start the process.
Most families only need our help once. However, we evaluate on a case-by-case basis. Only 3% of clients ever return for additional support.
Yes. All information is kept confidential in accordance with professional social work standards, including the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and applicable state laws.
No, everything done through us is 100% confidential. We do not contact anyone; your information is secure with us.
80% of funds go directly to STEP programs - combating:
to address the root cause: chronic financial stress.
The remaining funds support the operations and infrastructure that make this work possible.
Yes. STEP is a registered 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit. You’ll receive a tax receipt for your records.
Yes! Check with your employer to see if they’ll match your donation - it can double or triple your impact.
Yes! Your privacy and security matter to us. We use secure platforms to process donations, and we never sell or share your information. We treat your data with the same care and respect we give the clients we serve.
We regularly share impact stories (with confidential information changed to protect identities) in our emails, social media, and donor updates. These stories reflect real lives changed, thanks to you.
You can manage recurring donations, update payment info, or cancel your monthly gift through your emailed receipt. At the bottom, under the payment total, it will say "to manage your monthly plan, click here". To learn more about how to do this, read this help article.
Yes! Whether it's a birthday fundraiser, workplace campaign, or online drive, we’d love to support you. Contact us to get started or navigate to our
Start A Fundraiser page.
Our EIN is 20-3051279
At STEP, transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.
You can subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media (@teamstepusa), or check out our blog!
We offer public recognition, logo placement, engagement opportunities for your team, and more. Learn more about our Sponsorship Benefits here.
Absolutely. Corporate volunteer days are a great way to build team morale while supporting military families directly. Contact us to set something up!
Yes. Sponsoring a distribution (groceries, diapers, essentials) is a powerful way to make a visible impact in your community. Learn about our distribution sponsorship opportunities and benefits here.
Yes. Let’s collaborate on something meaningful. Contact us to get started.
You can manage recurring donations, update payment info, or cancel your monthly gift through your emailed receipt. At the bottom, under the payment total, it will say "to manage your monthly plan, click here". To learn more about how to do this, read this help article.
Yes! Whether it's a birthday fundraiser, workplace campaign, or online drive, we’d love to support you. Contact us to get started or navigate to our
Start A Fundraiser page.
Our EIN is 20-3051279. Every donation is tax-deductible.
At STEP, transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.
We take your trust seriously - and work hard to make every dollar count.
You can subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media (@teamstepusa), or check out our blog!
Sign up on our website! You can lend a hand in the warehouse, help out in the office, support distributions, assist at events, or join seasonal programs like Sharing the Joy.
Nope! Just bring your time, compassion, and willingness to help. We’ll provide all training and instructions. Just let us know what area you'd like to help in or sign up for a volunteer opportunity, and we'll do the rest.
Yes. Many of our volunteer opportunities are family-friendly. Just check if there are specific age requirements listed.
As often as you’d like! You can come once, monthly, or as often as your schedule allows. Our main warehouse volunteer days are Tuesday and Thursday, and distributions held at our headquarters are typically Saturdays.
Mostly in San Diego and Washington state, but we’re expanding. Some opportunities, like donation drives, marketing, or admin tasks, can be remote.
Yes. We’re happy to verify hours for school, clubs, or service requirements.
Yes! We love to recognize the impact our volunteers make through:
Your time and dedication don’t go unnoticed. We make sure of it.
We have purchased our new permanent home!
Our headquarters is now located at:
8320 Juniper Creek Ln, San Diego, CA 92126
