Bob Woodruff Foundation Invests $1.7M In Health and Wellbeing of Veterans, Caregivers, and Military Families
NEW YORK, May 26, 2022 — Today, the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) announced an investment of $1.7 million in grants to 18 best-in-class organizations that are providing programs and services to veterans, caregivers, and military families. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ripple through the military/veteran community, these grants address the ongoing need for essential resources including food and shelter, as well as deeper-rooted barriers to stability that require legal support. Through these grants, the Bob Woodruff Foundation is making an investment in both the immediate and long-term health and wellbeing of the military/veteran community.
“Our grantees are in the best possible position to meet the needs of veterans in their communities—on the ground, close to the veterans themselves,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “These grants support our Got Your 6 Network in serving veterans, caregivers and military families nationwide, and they reflect not only our commitment but also the depth of our collaboration with funders who share our priorities.”
To address ongoing concerns about veteran homelessness and housing security, the Bob Woodruff Foundation is funding nine programs directly focused on veterans experiencing or at risk for homelessness. Several of these programs take a holistic approach to tackling housing insecurity, working within medical-legal partnerships to provide legal support. Other grants will focus on enhancing and/or complementing programs that provide employment support, outreach efforts, and basic needs assistance.
Six of these grants include a focus on effective service connection and case coordination to ensure veterans’ needs are being addressed comprehensively. As published in BWF’s most recent issue of Stand SMART for Heroes, a coordinated system of services that address social determinants of health is the best possible solution to end homelessness among veterans.
Two grants are focused on clinical mental healthcare this cycle. The first is providing services directly to veterans with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, while the second increases veterans’ access to evidence-based treatment for PTSD by providing training and consultation in best-in-class therapies to community-based mental health providers across the nation.
Several grants in this portfolio were made possible thanks to BWF’s partnership with the National Football League (NFL). NFL-BWF funding will support programs focused on social connection and interaction, in addition to essential needs such as housing. A grant to Move United will enlarge their USA Wheelchair Football League by another two teams, expanding the League’s presence to 11 cities. A grant to The Mission Continues will increase social connectedness and improve the mental health of 8,000 veterans participating in their Service Platoon Program’s city-wide national days of service, projects, and social events.
The Bob Woodruff Foundation is continuing to raise funds to support veterans and their families, during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
For a full and detailed list of the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s 2022 grant recipients, visit here.
About the Bob Woodruff Foundation
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, BWF has led an enduring call to action for people to stand up for heroes and meet the emerging and long-term needs of today’s veterans, including mental health, caregiver support, food insecurity, and service-connected fertility issues. To date, BWF has invested over $85 million to Find, Fund and Shape™ programs that have empowered impacted veterans, service members, and their family members, across the nation, reinforcing the message that BWF has ‘Got Your Six’. For more information, as well as stories of success and innovation from BWF’s network of partners, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @bwforg.
