$1.6 Million in Grants Awarded to Support Soldiers

By Amy CorenblithAugust 27, 2007

DALLAS (Army News Service, Aug. 27, 2007) Aca,!" The Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment Fund of the Dallas Foundation has awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to assist Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their Families through seven non-profit organizations.

TRIAD established five funding priorities Aca,!" mental and physical health care, emergency assistance, Family reintegration, job training and employment, and youth services Aca,!" based on surveys of Texas National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers and their Families.

"I am very proud of the grants awarded and the difference they are going to make for the men and women serving our country and their Families," said Robert Jordan, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a TRIAD Fund advisory committee member. "These grants were awarded to both large and small agencies with programs addressing unmet needs and hardships caused by deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The largest grant will support collaboration between Mental Health America and the American Red Cross to provide free mental health services to approximately 700 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and Family members. The two organizations will receive $553,260 over two years to provide intake and assessment, specialist referrals and additional support services.

"For many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their Families, accessing and paying for mental health services can be difficult," said Tim Simmons, executive director of MHA. "MHA is honored to co-sponsor a program that will assist them in locating and paying for mental health services. It is our way of thanking them for their service and helping them transition home."

The National Organization on Disability will receive $414,857 over two years for the first of three pilot sites for a program providing free job training and employment for the Army's most severely wounded veterans in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Pinnacle Foundation will be able to provide additional job training to at least 260 north and east Texas wounded warriors and their caregivers with $351,600.

A grant of $234,599 will allow Metroplex Military Charitable Trust to fund three wheelchair vans to transport wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to outpatient treatment at the Dallas Department of Veterans Affairs Polytrauma Unit, the Bonham VA Medical Center and the Fort Worth VA Outpatient Clinic.

Operation Homefront - Texas will receive $50,000 to support emergency assistance funding and home repairs for Texas military personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their Families.

TRIAD granted the Texas Military Family Foundation $25,000 for emergency assistance and programs for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans at the Texas Military Support Center at Fort Hood. The Center is open 24 hours a day and serves 2,000 Guard and Reserve Soldiers per month.

CampLIFE! was awarded $10,000 for a free three-day camp for surviving dependents of Fort Hood Soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Organized by Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors, the camp will provide grief counseling and recreational activities for the surviving parents and children.

TRIAD Fund selects nonprofit organizations through a competitive application process. It has awarded a total of $2.9 million this year to help veterans and their Families cope with the challenges of daily life during and after their service. Remaining 2007 application deadlines are Sept. 17 and Dec. 17.

For more information, visit <a href="http://www.triadfund.org"target=_blank> www.triadfund.org</a>.

(Amy Corenblith is a publicist for TRIAD.)