The St. Vincent de Paul Society, highlighted for its work with homeless veterans when Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald visited Tampa last week, has received $3 million in VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families grants.
The grants – $1.5 million each for work with homeless veterans in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties – will enable the society to take its program to Hillsborough according to officials of the St. Petersburg-based organization.
The Hillsborough County grant is new, while the Pinellas grant is a renewal, according to society spokeswoman Marilyn Brownlee. The society is also in the third year of a three-year, $6 million grant from VA.
The society “will have the capacity to serve at least 400 veterans annually in Hillsborough County – bringing the end to veteran homelessness within reach for the community,” said Brownlee. “During the brief history of this program, VA has helped tens of thousands of Veterans exit homelessness and prevented just as many from becoming homeless.”
The grant is part of the VA’s “surge” funding targeting resources to areas with high numbers of homeless or at-risk veterans and their families.
“Homelessness among our veteran population is completely unacceptable in this country”, said Michael Raposa, the society’s chief executive officer. “These brave men and women fought tirelessly for our freedom – it is time that we, as a community, fight on their behalf for their right to live in dignity.”
St. Vincent de Paul is in its third year of SSVF funding. Last year, it assisted 491 veteran families, according to Brownlee,
“We are 100 percent confident we will end the plight of homeless veterans quickly and permanently”, said Raposa.
The SSVF program awards grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives providing services to very low-income Veteran families living in –or transitioning to – permanent housing.
Under the terms of the grant, St. Vincent de Paul offer Veterans and their family members’ outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits and assistance in receiving other public benefits. They can also offer temporary financial assistance on behalf of Veterans for rent payments, utility payments, security deposits and moving costs.
This is the fourth year the VA has offered the grant.
Tampa Crossroads also received a three-year, $3 million grant under the SSVF program.
McDonald announced the award of $207 million in SSVF grants that will help an additional 70,000 homeless and at-risk veterans and their families. The grants will be distributed to 82 non-profit agencies and include “surge” funding for 56 high need communities, one of which is St. Vincent de Paul.