Delco Veterans Affairs Office Gets $15K Outreach Expansion Grant

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Delaware County's Office of Veterans Affairs will soon get a funding boost to help expand outreach services to local veterans.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration today Veterans Affairs Offices in 12 counties will get $150,000 in grants.

Among those counties is Delaware County, which will receive $15,000 for outreach expansion.

Funding comes from the Veterans’ Trust Fund and is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

The Veterans' Trust Fund (VTF) is funded by Pennsylvanians who voluntarily make a $3 donation when applying for or renewing their driver’s license, photo ID, or a motor vehicle registration.

Additionally, the VTF receives proceeds from the sale of the Honoring Our Veterans and Honoring Our Women Veterans license plates and private donations.

Since the grant program began in 2013, $6.68 million has been awarded to organizations that serve Pennsylvania veterans.

"Our veterans served our country and defended our freedoms – they have sacrificed for us and they deserve access to quality care and services when they come home," Shapiro said. "Thanks to the generosity of Pennsylvanians who donate to the Veterans’ Trust Fund, service organizations all across the Commonwealth will be able to provide critical support to our veterans – everything from transportation services to peer support groups. Under the leadership of Major General Schindler from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, my Administration will continue to make sure we are fulfilling our obligation to be there for our veterans."

Grantees slated to receive funding identified over $2 million in matching funds pledged toward grant-funded initiatives

Combined with the VTF grants, this will result in more than $2.8 million for veterans’ initiatives in Pennsylvania over the next two years.

"Connecting Pennsylvania’s more than 700,000 veterans to these programs is DMVA’s top priority and we cannot do it alone," said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. "The VTF program is crucial and helps expand our network of services by partnering with organizations that can expand our outreach. We are grateful to all Pennsylvanian’s who donate and to the grant recipients who put these funds to good use helping veterans and their families."

A total of $150,000 in grant funding was available for new, innovative, or expanded programs or services provided by County Directors of Veterans Affairs or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs.

The three areas of emphasis for grantees in this category were veterans’ outreach, transportation services, and homelessness.

All grant awards are contingent upon the completion of a fully executed grant agreement.

The DMVA is authorized to solicit and accept donations to the VTF on behalf of the Commonwealth.

Tax-deductible donations can be made online here or mailed to: PA Veterans’ Trust Fund, Bldg. 0-47, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA 17003.