Veterans in the San Antonio area are about to get a reason to smile. Various organizations that help veterans and their families are getting a big boost, thanks to new funding from the Texas Veterans Commission.

The Commission recently announced that it is providing grants totaling $1.9 million to groups that directly assist vets in different facets, from financial counseling to parental skill-building to free transportation.

The Alamo Area Council of Governments hosted the Commission and other grant recipients to announce the great news for our veteran community.

“We’re delighted to have such a great group of organizations here with us today,” said Diane Rath, AACOG executive director. “We’re thankful to the Commission for continuing to recognize how crucial it is for us to do all we can to help our vets here in Military City, USA.”

The TVC granted $300,000 for AACOG’s Call-A-Ride-4-Vets program, which provides veterans and their families free counseling services as well as addressing their transportation needs, whether it’s for medical appointments, grocery shopping or to attend social events.

Other organizations also granted TVC funding represented at the event included GreenPath Financial Wellness, The Children’s Shelter and Operation Comfort.

“The need for parental services to empower and engage our military veterans and their dependents will help combat child abuse and neglect in Bexar County,” said Anais Biera Miracle, vice-president of External Affairs at The Children’s Shelter. “We will work in providing in-home services, which will include case management, family support groups and mental health counseling.”

Its $200,000 grant will enable Operation Comfort to continue helping wounded vets afford some of life’s most basic needs such as rent, mortgage, utilities and insurance.

“We’re grateful to the Texas Veterans Commission for this grant and to the people of Texas who have purchased the Veterans scratch off lottery ticket, enabling Operation Comfort to extend a helping hand to our Veterans who are in need,” said Janis Roznowski, the organization’s executive director.

Likewise, GreenPath Financial Wellness expressed gratitude for its $300,000 grant, which will go to helping vets with the complicated art of number-crunching.

“We can reduce some of the daily stress they are experiencing, while empowering them to make strong personal finance decisions,” said Kristen Holt, president and CEO of GreenPath.

(Photo cutline: Texas Veterans Commissioner Jim Scott, with GreenPath counselors Federico Pena and Jorge Mata, at a check presentation program, held at The Alamo Area Council of Governments, on August 8.)

 

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