Gov. Wolf Announces $1.35 Million in Veterans’ Trust Fund Awards

Governor WolfCredit: Commonwealth Media Services

PENNSYLVANIA — Governor Tom Wolf announced that 14 Pennsylvania county veterans affairs offices will receive $200,000 in grants, and 34 charitable or veteran service organizations will receive $1.15 million in grants from the Veterans’ Trust Fund (VTF), administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).

“The Veterans’ Trust Fund helps to fill gaps in services to veterans that would otherwise go unfilled,” said Gov. Wolf. “The county offices and civic organizations who receive these grants do incredible work supporting our veterans. They truly improve the lives of veterans, providing them with life-enhancing programs and services. Pennsylvania owes a debt of gratitude to everyone who contributes to this program, either as a donor or hard-working recipient.”

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 that come from the sale of the Honoring Our Veterans and Honoring our Women Veterans license plates or private donations. Since the grant program began in 2013, a total of $5,332,860 has been awarded to organizations that serve Pennsylvania veterans.

Grantees slated to receive funding identified more than $1 million in matching funds pledged toward grant-funded initiatives. Combined with the VTF grants, this will result in more than $2.4 million for veterans’ initiatives during the next two years.

“As Pennsylvania’s biggest veteran advocate, the DMVA connects veterans to benefits that meet their daily needs. Our goal is to reach every veteran in the commonwealth. The best way in obtaining that goal is by collaborating with other organizations to conduct our outreach campaign,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “It is through this collaboration and these grants that veterans receive the help they need and earned by serving our nation. I would like to personally thanks all those that donate to ensure our veterans get the best we can give them.”

Up to a total of $200,000 in grant funding was available 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 three areas of emphasis for grantees in this category were veterans’ outreach, veterans’ courts, and training and capacity building. The grantees, the specific award amounts, and the programs supported are as follows:

  • Berks County Office of Veterans Affairs: $20,000 to implement a county veterans temporary assistance grant program
  • Cambria County Office of Veterans Affairs: $20,000 to provide veterans outreach forums
  • Erie County Office of Veterans Affairs: $2,000 to support the veterans court program
  • Franklin County Office of Veterans Affairs: $20,000 to support the service dog and equine therapy veterans’ programs
  • Juniata County and Mifflin County Office of Veterans Affairs (joint application): $35,000 to expand veteran outreach programs in the region
  • Monroe County Office of Veterans Affairs: $11,756 to provide financial assistance for veterans in need
  • Montour County Office of Veterans Affairs: $8,500 to expand and enhance services provided to veterans
  • Northampton County Office of Veterans Affairs: $4,244 to support and expand outreach services to veterans
  • Snyder County and Union County Office of Veterans Affairs (joint application): $35,000 to grow the veteran emergency assistance project
  • Venango County Office of Veterans Affairs: $20,000 to establish a program to combat veteran suicide
  • Warren County Office of Veterans Affairs: $3,500 for veteran outreach activities
  • Wayne County Office of Veterans Affairs: $20,000 to expand mental health services to veterans

The VTF grant also identified $1.15 million 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 veterans’ employment and education, behavioral health initiatives, or other programs addressing newly identified, unmet or emerging needs of veterans and their families. The grantees, the specific award amounts, and the programs supported are as follows:

  • Adventures in Training with a Purpose, Wexford (Allegheny County): $50,000 to provide supportive and therapeutic services to veterans
  • AHARI – A Home is a Right, Inc., Philadelphia (Philadelphia County): $50,000 for AHARI WRAP program to serve homeless and at-risk veterans
  • Alfred L. Wilson Memorial VFW Post 7219, Fairchance (Fayette County): $4,000 to provide educational scholarships to children/grandchildren of veterans
  • Alpha Bravo Canine, Philadelphia (Philadelphia County): $17,298 to provide service dogs to veterans
  • Artpost Awareness Inc., Lock Haven (Clinton County): $2,500 to provide therapeutic services to veterans
  • Building Bridges Foundation at Anderson Farm, Conestoga (Lancaster County): $35,000 to provide interactive equine therapy to veterans
  • Center for Community Action, Everett (Bedford County): $28,635 to provide services to homeless veterans and their families
  • Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Harrisburg (Dauphin County): $50,000 to support the MilitaryShare program
  • Community Action Agency of Delaware County, Inc., Boothwyn (Delaware County): $30,281 to provide behavioral health services to veterans
  • Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County, Sharon (Mercer County): $50,000 to provide nutritional food to veterans and their family members
  • Council for Relationships, Inc., Philadelphia (Philadelphia County): $38,500 to expand emergency aid and access to mental health resources for veterans and their families
  • Heroic Gardens, Jenkintown (Montgomery County): $27,740 to provide therapeutic services to veterans
  • JFT Recovery and Veterans Support Services, Lemoyne (Cumberland County): $50,000 to assist veterans with vocational, educational and job services
  • Leroy O. Bucks VTF Post 7863, Williamsport (Lycoming County): $24,000 to support the MilitaryShare program
  • Military Veterans Outdoors, Inc., Brookville (Jefferson County): $27,000 for rehabilitative recreations services to veterans
  • Operation Homefront, Philadelphia (Philadelphia County): $25,000 to provide supportive services to veterans and their family members
  • Operation Troop Appreciation, McKeesport (Allegheny County): $45,000 to provide financial assistance veterans
  • Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, Camp Hill (Cumberland County): $45,000 to provide financial assistance to veterans
  • rabbitCARES, York (York County): $49,900 for transportation services to veterans
  • Rodale Institute, Kutztown (Berks County): $50,000 to support the veteran farming training program
  • Safe Harbor Easton, Easton (Northampton County): $25,000 to provide housing services to veterans
  • Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, Nazareth (Northampton County): $50,000 to support the MilitaryShare program
  • Shamrock Reins, Pipersville (Bucks County): $2,680 to provide equine therapy training and certifications to veterans
  • Steven A. Cohen Military Family, Philadelphia (Philadelphia County): $49,489 to provide mental health supportive services to veterans
  • Trails End Conservancy, Hermitage (Mercer County): $31,954 to provide interactive equine therapy services to veterans
  • Valor Clinic Foundation, Brodheadsville (Monroe County): $48,113 to provide supportive services to veterans
  • Venango Training and Development Center, Seneca (Venango County): $23,008 for a Fairweather Lodge program to house veterans
  • Veterans Brotherhood, Pennsburg (Montgomery County): $29,000 to provide housing services to veterans
  • Veterans Leadership Program of Western PA, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County): $36,267 for services to prevent homelessness among veterans
  • Veterans Multi-Service Center, Philadelphia (Philadelphia County): $50,000 to expand their women veterans’ program
  • Veterans Promise, Dickson City (Lackawanna County): $25,000 to provide financial assistance to veterans
  • Voice and Vision Inc., Swarthmore (Delaware County): $35,555 to support mental health services for veterans
  • Warriors to Washington, Erie (Erie County): $10,000 to provide therapeutic trips to veterans
  • Writeface, Conestoga (Lancaster County): $34,080 to provide therapeutic services to veterans

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.gov 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.gov.

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