Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW)

Mission United COVID-19 Recovery Fund

Service Area: Orlando, Florida

The following program was awarded grants as part of the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s second 2020 Expedited Grants Portfolio, addressing urgent needs related to COVID-19.

Florida has one of the highest veteran populations in the United States, with more than 100,000 in the Orlando tri-county area. With 281,941 jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector, the Orlando metropolitan area is also one of 15 communities cited in BWF’s research paper, “Veterans and COVID-19: Projecting the Economic, Social, and Mental Health Needs of America’s Veterans,” as facing significant economic impact due to the pandemic. The Heart of Florida United Way’s (HFUW) Mission United program is a collective-impact initiative, and BWF Local Partner, that provides case management and direct assistance in housing and employment to ensure that veterans and their families maintain stability while seeking additional services. Since March 2020, HFUW has received quadrupled requests for assistance. This NFL-BWF Healthy Lifestyle and Creating Community grant will support HFUW’s Mission United COVID-19 Recovery Fund, and provide rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to at least 20 post-9/11 veterans who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance will ensure that veterans remain stably housed through the crisis without accumulating debt from housing and utility payments.