Print E-mail

4/2/2008

Seven recipient organizations offer assistance to military personnel and their families
DALLAS (April 2, 2008) – The Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment (TRIAD) Fund of The Dallas Foundation awarded more than $600,000 in grants to seven non-profit organizations assisting military personnel who are serving or have served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families. This brings the total amount awarded over the past twelve months to $4.6 million.

"We have a monumental task in helping our servicemen and women and their families deal with the effects of the war," said Susan Campbell, financial development director of the Smith County Chapter of the American Red Cross. "The TRIAD Fund grant will go a long way toward helping us make life better for these deserving people."

The grants are designed to help Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans and their families cope with the challenges of daily life during and after their service. The TRIAD Fund Advisory Committee chose to focus on East Texas, an area identified as needing assistance, for the latest round of grants.

"Military families live all across the state, and we wanted to make sure that the same level of service is available in East Texas as it is for those concentrated near a base like Fort Hood,” said Fred Smith, a TRIAD Fund Advisory Committee member and a Tyler, Texas, resident. "It's wonderful to be able to help the men and women who are risking their lives for us."

Grants include:

  • $122,816 to the Smith County Chapter of the American Red Cross to coordinate comprehensive services, including case management in the East Texas area. Approximately 1,200 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and family members reside in the East Texas area. The Red Cross will provide intake and assessment, referral to an appropriate specialist and additional support services.
  • $173,145 to the Andrews Center to provide mental health services to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their family members in the East Texas area. These services will be provided on site at the Center in Tyler as well as through a community referral system to 18 counties in East Texas.
  • $20,200 to Mustard Seed Ministries of East Texas to provide interactive computer technology in community centers in East Texas. This installation will include Internet capability with VIDItalk, allowing soldiers and families to communicate via videoconference.
  • $125,000 to USA Cares to support emergency assistance funding for North and East Texas military personnel that have served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families.
  • $125,000 to the Department of Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Foundation to extend its Wounded Warrior Emergency Assistance program.
  • $25,000 to Pastoral Counseling and Education Center to provide mental health counseling services to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their family members in the Dallas area.
  • $46,800 to CampLIFE! over two years, for four free three-day camp for surviving dependents of soldiers from Ft. Hood killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The camp, organized through Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors (HUGSS), is at Ski ’N Scats Camp on Cedar Creek Lake, and will provide grief counseling for the surviving youth and parent, as well as recreational activities.

Utilizing data from surveys of Texas National Guard and Army Reserve personnel and families, the TRIAD Fund Advisory Committee established five funding priorities: mental and physical health care, emergency assistance, family reintegration, job training and employment and dependent youth services. The TRIAD Fund selects nonprofit organizations through a competitive application process. The Dallas Foundation has created a special advisory committee, comprised of business, civic and military leaders, to prioritize the region’s needs, determine grant criteria, and review and award the grants. Please contact The Dallas Foundation directly to inquire about upcoming 2008 application deadlines. For more information, please visit www.triadfund.org.

Donations
Donations to the TRIAD Fund will be accepted, but will be tracked in a separate fund in order to appropriately report back to the California Community Foundation on the impact of their $5 million grant. Additional monies will be used for the same overall purpose, using the same format and grant award process. To donate, please visit www.dallasfoundation.org.