04/12/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/12/2024 11:46
Annville, PA - The Shapiro Administration announced today it has awarded $800,000 through the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) Veterans' Trust Fund (VTF) to county directors of veterans affairs, non-profits and Veteran Service Organizations. The $800,000 in state funding, combined with matching grants secured by VTF awardees, will result in more than $3.5 million for veterans' initiatives in Pennsylvania over the next two years - for everything from ensuring military veterans and their families can have healthy, nutritious food to providing service dogs and expanding transportation services for veterans across the Commonwealth.
The VTF is funded by generous Pennsylvanians who voluntarily make a $5 donation when applying for or renewing their driver's license, photo ID, or a motor vehicle registration. Additionally, the VTF receives proceeds from the sale of the Honoring Our Veterans and Honoring Our Women Veterans license plates and private donations. Since the grant program began in 2013, a total of $7,482,860 has been awarded to organizations that serve Pennsylvania veterans.
"Our veterans have served our country and fought for our freedoms, and my Administration has their backs," said Governor Josh Shapiro. "The Veterans' Trust Fund, supported through Pennsylvanians' generous donations, provides vital resources for the county, nonprofit, and Veteran Service Organizations that support Pennsylvania's 700,000 veterans and make sure they can put food on the table, have transportation to get where they need to go, and receive the benefits they earned through their service. We will continue to work to ensure that the brave men and women who protected our freedoms have the opportunity to succeed and can prosper here in the Commonwealth."
"Nonprofit organizations, Veteran Service Organizations and county Veterans Affairs Offices do an incredible job developing programs and services with these grants. They help improve the quality of life for veterans and their families," said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania's adjutant general and head of the DMVA. "Our agency is committed to connecting veterans to these programs, so they receive the services they earned while serving."
DMVA has directed $145,670 in grant funding for new, innovative, or expanded programs or services provided by county directors of veterans affairs or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs. The area of emphasis for grantees in this category was veterans' outreach. The grantees, the specific award amounts, and the programs supported are as follows:
DMVA also identified $654,330 in funding available to Veteran Service Organizations with 501(c)(19) status and non-profit, 501(c)(3), charitable organizations with a mission of serving Pennsylvania veterans. Funding priorities for grants in this category were transportation services, food insecurity, housing insecurity, behavioral health/mental health or suicide prevention initiatives, legal assistance. The grantees, the specific award amounts, and the programs supported are as follows:
All grant awards are contingent upon the completion of a fully executed grant agreement.
The DMVA is authorized to solicit and accept donations to the VTF on behalf of the Commonwealth. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at www.donate.dmva.pa.govOpens In A New Window or mailed to: PA Veterans' Trust Fund, Bldg. 0-47, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA 17003.
To learn more about the VTF, visit www.vtf.pa.govOpens In A New Window or follow DMVA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/padmvaOpens In A New Window.
MEDIA CONTACT: Joseph Butera, [email protected] -
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