5/9/2007
THE DALLAS FOUNDATION'S TRIAD FUND AWARDS FIRST GRANTS TOTALING MORE THAN $1.2 MILLION
Funds benefit organizations that provide services to military personnel and their families

DALLAS (May 9, 2007) – The Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment (TRIAD) Fund of The Dallas Foundation recently awarded its first round of grants to four nonprofit organizations to assist military personnel who are serving or have served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families.

Grants include:

• $639,000 to Communities in Schools, Bell-Coryell Counties, to expand services to 1,800 additional eligible children at schools surrounding Fort Hood;
• $250,000 to United We Serve to support the Battle Buddy Reintegration Retreats;
• $200,000 to the Texas National Guard Family Support Foundation to support the emergency assistance program; and,
• $195,500 to the Department of Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Foundation to extend its Wounded Warrior Emergency Assistance program.

"There are more needs among the military community than we will ever be able to completely fund, but the first round of grants from the TRIAD Fund is an excellent start," said John Ware, chairman of the TRIAD Fund Advisory Committee. "Many servicemen and women and their families will be able to adjust a little bit better because of the TRIAD Fund's help, and that is extremely gratifying."

Communities in Schools (CIS) supplies public school campus-based programs to children who are in crisis or face significant academic and personal needs by creating a network of support and community resources that work together to help students succeed. Utilizing the monies received, CIS will expand its reach significantly by providing 18 additional full-time staff members, all devoting their time 50-50 between two separate campuses. As a result, up to 36 additional schools will be served in Killeen and Copperas Cove Independent School Districts that are not currently being served.

"This infusion of financial resources allows CIS to meet the needs of more than 1,800 children and expand our services to all schools falling within the 10 mile area (Killeen and Copperas Cove) surrounding Fort Hood," said Mary Erwin-Barr, Executive Director. "Many of these children face difficult challenges because they have family members who are valiantly serving our country. These children will be case managed on an individual basis and their families will be connected to the civilian and military resources they need to ensure success both at school and at home."

More than 200,000 Texans have had a role in Afghanistan and Iraq. Aside from the everyday financial needs of military families, there are other unmet needs, including, but not limited to: assistance in re-entry into family and civilian life; counseling beyond what is currently provided by the military; assistance for families who have lost a loved one in Afghanistan or Iraq; mental health care for veterans and child care for families who do not live close to a military base.

In addition to the funding awarded to Communities in Schools, three other nonprofit organizations will assist military personnel and their families in the following ways:

• United We Serve, based in Plano, will expand two programs: (1) Battle Buddy three-day retreats, which pair wounded veterans with a veteran with similar injuries who is further down the recovery path to help them negotiate the VA system, understand what is ahead for them, and begin to explore new career options, and (2) three-day family reintegration retreats for eligible service members and their families in North and East Texas. Counseling and communication training are provided at both retreats, which take place in Jefferson, TX.
• The Texas National Guard Family Support Foundation, based in Austin, to provide emergency short-term interest-free loans and grants to National Guard members and their families in North and East Texas.
• The Texas VFW Foundation, based in Austin, to provide emergency assistance to wounded veterans and their families in North and East Texas.

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 to nonprofit organizations through a competitive application process. The Dallas Foundation's grant region includes North and East Texas, encompassing Dallas/Fort Worth, Killeen (including Fort Hood), Texarkana, Wichita Falls and surrounding areas. The TRIAD Fund application deadlines for 2007 are June 15, September 17 and December 17.

For more information, please visit www.triadfund.org.