Fourteen recipient organizations offer assistance to military personnel and their families
DALLAS (April 30, 2010) – More than $1.2 million in grants was awarded to 14 nonprofit organizations assisting military personnel who are serving or have served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families through the Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment (TRIAD) Fund of The Dallas Foundation. This is the first round of grants to be awarded this year, but contributes to the $9.4 million that have been given through the fund’s three-year history. These grants are designed to help veterans and their families cope with the challenges of daily life during and after their service.
Grants include:
- $299,440 to the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, to support strategic leadership and managerial development programs that assist TRIAD grantees on topics such as performance measurement, volunteer recruiting, and management and budget analysis.
- $191,737 to the National Organization on Disability, to continue support for the Army Wounded Warriors Careers program, which provides career, education and training assistance to soldiers who have been wounded.
- $130,000 to the Metroplex Military Charitable Trust, to continue support for handicap-accessible vans to transport wounded soldiers.
- $130,000 to the Andrews Center, to continue support for counseling services at clinics located in Tyler, Athens, Canton and Mineola.
- $121,030 to the American Red Cross, Smith County, to continue support for the Armed Forces Military Resource Center, which provides information and referrals to veterans.
- $85,000 to Inova Health System Foundation, to support the Military to Medicine program, which provides healthcare job transition and training to war-wounded caregivers, military spouses and veterans.
- $70,000 to USA Cares, to provide financial assistance to veterans whose homes are in danger of foreclosure or eviction.
- $55,000 to United We Serve, to support the BattleBuddy program, which provides resiliency training during deployment, peer-to-peer support, marriage and relationship-building seminars, parenting coaching, and job and life skill training.
- $36,000 to Mustard Seed Ministries, to continue support for programs that provide computers and webcams to military families, and to support the Boots and Buddies interactive program to help the children of deployed military personnel to understand deployment.
- $29,000 to Operation Homefront of Texas, to continue support for emergency assistance programs that help in the areas of finance, food, healthcare, infant supplies, disaster relief, moving, counseling, and home and vehicle repair to the lowest paid service members (E1-E6).
- $25,000 to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, to support the Fort Hood Survivor Seminar for Adults and Good Grief Camp for Young Survivors to be held in June to facilitate peer-based emotional support.
- $25,000 to Patriot Kids, to continue support for summer camps for the children of deployed military, and to provide mentoring and life skills training and support.
- $20,000 to Defenders of Freedom, to provide financial assistance to wounded soldiers and care packages for deployed military.
- $15,000 to America Supports You, to provide emergency financial assistance for deployed military based out of the West Texas area.
In a recent statement, Admiral Michael Mullen, current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave a nod to the philanthropic community and its role in assisting military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. “Community nonprofit groups are the answer to meeting veterans’ needs after they’ve left the federal system,” said Adm. Mullen. “Soldiers go off to war without questioning the decision, yet come back as changed people.”
Using data from surveys of Texas National Guard and Army Reserve personnel and families, the TRIAD Fund Advisory Committee established seven funding priorities: mental and physical health services, emergency assistance, reintegration, general counseling/support group services, services for dependent children, training and job placement and home care while on duty.
“We are so proud to support the needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans through these fourteen organizations,” said Mary Jalonick, president of The Dallas Foundation. “There are far more areas that need support among the military community than we are able to fund, but through these grants we hope to make a positive difference in the lives of those who have already given so much.”
The TRIAD Fund selects nonprofit organizations through a competitive application process. The Dallas Foundation has created a special advisory committee, composed of business, civic and military leaders, to prioritize the region’s needs, determine grant criteria, and review and award the grants.
About the TRIAD Fund
The Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund at the Los Angeles-based California Community Foundation awarded $15 million to each of three Texas community foundations, culminating in the Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment (TRIAD) Fund. The Texas community foundations include The Dallas Foundation, the Permian Basin Area Foundation and the San Antonio Area Foundation. In 2008, an additional $15 million was provided to The Dallas Foundation and the San Antonio Area Foundation. The Dallas Foundation’s grant region includes the northern half of Texas, encompassing Dallas/Fort Worth, Killeen (including Fort Hood), Lufkin, Texarkana, Wichita Falls, Amarillo, Lubbock and surrounding areas. For more information, please visit www.triadfund.org.
About The Dallas Foundation
Established in 1929, The Dallas Foundation is Texas’ oldest community foundation. The Dallas Foundation serves as a leader, catalyst and resource for philanthropy by providing donors with flexible means of making gifts and bequests, the income from which primarily supports the charitable causes of the city and county of Dallas. For more information, visit dallasfoundation.org.