The Illinois Department of Veterans'
Affairs announces Third Quarter 2023 Veterans' Grant recipients
CIVC awarded $100K for Veteran Tiny Homes
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[June 30, 2023]
The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA)
announced the third quarter FY23 Veterans' Cash Grant Recipients
awarded to organizations that provide vital services to veterans
including job training and employment, housing assistance,
post-traumatic stress treatments, behavioral health programs, and
legal aid.
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The
grant is funded by the Winter Winnings Illinois Lottery ticket. The
awardees are:
• Central Illinois Veterans Commission was awarded $100,000 to
fund supplies and materials for building and furnishing homes for
homeless Veterans and their families. Two homes will be built by
volunteer Veterans.
• Rolling Thunder, Chapter 1 Veterans Assistance Committee was
awarded $20,000 to assist at risk for homelessness Veterans with
funding for housing and utilities. This grant will serve 180
Veterans statewide.
• Chicago Lighthouse was awarded $74,996 to fund Veterans
participation in the Veterans Employment Empowerment Project which
provides job skills training. Veterans work closely with staff to
learn important aspects of job readiness (computer skills, resume
writing, and interviewing techniques). Once Veterans are placed in
jobs, staff work with supervisors to ensure that they're succeeding
in their positions. The grant will serve 85 veterans in Chicago and
Northwestern Illinois.
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• Merging Vets and Players was awarded $75,839 for
services for Veterans with Behavioral Health concerns. The grant
will support 48 in-person core programming sessions and community
engagement activities (Beyond the Huddle.) Also included is funding
for physical activity trainers, gym space, and MVP member gear. The
grant will serve 50 veterans in the Chicago area.
• Freedom Paws Service Foundation was awarded $59,562 to assist
Veterans diagnosed with PTSD by utilizing psychiatric service dogs,
particularly Labrador Retrievers. Freedom Paws will train and
utilize service dogs providing support and assistance to 50 Veterans
from the Peoria, Chillicothe, and Central Illinois Region.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/26/images/ads/current/LPL_small%201.gif)
• Brushwood Center @ Ryerson Woods was awarded
$59,000 for its program At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans. The
program is an innovative approach to managing PTSD by connecting
Veterans to nature and the arts. The funding will expand the impact
of At Ease by providing 70 workshops for more than 340 Veterans in
the Lake and Cook County regions. • Legal
Aid Chicago was awarded $100,000 to support its Veterans' Rights
Project, which provides Veterans assistance in obtaining earned
benefits and legal assistance in securing financial and housing
stability. The grant will serve 150 Veterans in Chicago and
surrounding suburbs of Cook County.
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“We are pleased to support these programs which
provide critical services to Illinois’ Veterans,” said IDVA Director
Terry Prince. “The quality of applications we received reflect the
dedication and innovation of Veteran Service Providers across
Illinois. By supporting one another, we continue to elevate how we
serve Illinois Veterans. We encourage those with quality programs in
need of financial support to apply for Veterans Cash Grants.”
“We could not be more proud of the work we’ve done to help support
our veterans through the sale of Winter Winnings,” said Illinois
Lottery Director Harold Mays. “It is great to see the breadth of
programs that will benefit from this funding.”
The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs awards these funds in
the form of Veterans’ Cash Grants. On a quarterly basis, IDVA's
Veterans’ Cash Grant Authorization Committee reviews applications
and awards grants to groups that have demonstrated proven need.
Eligibility is open to government agencies, not-for-profits,
veterans’ organizations, and tax-exempt entities currently providing
veterans’ assistance or wishing to expand to veterans’ assistance.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/26/images/ads/current/castlemanor_sda_FINANCIAL_2017.png)
Winter Winnings is the first lottery game in the
United States to designate 100 percent of net proceeds to veterans.
Launched in 2006, more than $20 million in grants have been awarded
to approximately 400 veterans' organizations statewide. The Winter
Winnings $2 lottery tickets launches in November and grant
applications are accepted throughout the year.
Vets Cash is only accepting on-line applications in Amplifund’s new
grants management system! You can apply directly here. Click to
watch training video How to Apply - VA Lottery Program (wistia.com)
Grantees may apply through June 30, 2023, for a grant start date of
October 1st, 2023, and ending September 30th, 2024.
For more information on Veterans’ Cash Grants, visit:
https://veterans.illinois.gov/
programs/veterans-cash.html
For more information on the Illinois Lottery, visit:
www.illinoislottery.com
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information]
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