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By Chuck N. Baker

(Nevada) — In any language, a grant is a gift, and not necessarily of an animate object. A grant can be spoken, as in granting someone an audience. But in today’s world that has seen many more families than in the recent past enter into financial hardships, a grant of cash or of a safe place to sleep is a welcome gift indeed.

Fortunately many veterans organizations are available to help individuals and their families. But two familiar organizations in particular are currently offering grants to needy veterans at a time when the nation’s — and the State of Nevada’s — economies are under stress.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Unmet Needs Program offers grants up to $5,000 to eligible veterans, service members and military families. Since 2004, the VFW reports it has provided more than $5 million supporting veterans and military families who face an unexpected financial hardship related to their military service. The VFW program can directly pay eligible expenses with no obligation of repayment. VFW also provides referrals to other organizations should additional assistance be required. On the VFW website, the organization gives a real-life example of a veteran who has benefited from its program. After five combat tours in the Marine Corps, Sergeant Dustin Ellison was suffering from the post-war effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and severe PTSD. “I thought [Dustin’s discharge date] would be the happiest day since he came home from service… I was wrong,” explained Heather Boyd, Ellison’s sister. “It was 100 [times] harder after war. It breaks my heart to watch my brother go through life like a ghost carrying guilt from serving for his country.”

When the severity of his condition and medical complications requiring surgery unexpectedly extended local treatment he was getting, she feared he would leave the program if he was unable to keep up on his bills. She reached out to VFW for help, and an Unmet Needs grant came through just in time. “I personally had depleted the money in my bank account… [the VFW] was not only a relief for myself, but it allowed him the opportunity to focus on treatment and not stress about his lack of income,” said Boyd.

Applicants must be the service member, veteran, or eligible dependent listed under the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). The financial hardship must be due to one of the following:

• Currently on active duty, whose financial hardship is a result of a current deployment, military pay error, or a discharge for medical reasons.

Discharged on or after Sept. 11, 2001, whose financial hardship is a direct result of military service connected injuries and/or illnesses.

• Discharged prior to Sept. 11, 2001, on a fixed income that must include VA compensation for a service connected injury/illness and facing an unexpected financial hardship.

The financial hardship cannot be caused by:

• Civil, legal or domestic issues, misconduct, or any issues that are a result of spousal separation or divorce.
• Financial mismanagement by self or others, or due to bankruptcy.

All grants are paid directly to the creditor and applicants must provide the most current bills due.

Expenses Eligible for payment:

• Household expenses – mortgage, rent, repairs, insurance.

Vehicle expenses – payments, insurance, repairs (major repairs for vehicles more than 10 years old will not be considered).

• Utilities.
• Food and clothing.
• Children’s clothing, diapers, formula, school or childcare expenses.
• Medical bills, prescriptions & eyeglasses – the patient’s portion for necessary or emergency medical care only.

Ineligible Expenses:

• Credit cards, military charge cards or retail store cards.
• Cable, Internet, or secondary phones.
• Cosmetic or investigational medical procedures & expenses.
• Taxes – property or otherwise.
• Furniture, electronic equipment or vehicle rentals.
• Any other expenses not determined to be a basic life need.

The eligible and ineligible expense lists are not all inclusive. Upon approval, payments will be made directly to creditors. All applications are individually reviewed and the VFW reserves the right to make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. For more information, contact Unmet Needs at (866) 789-6333. Applications are provided only on the VFW website. The process can take up to 20 business days while a caseworker reviews an application and supporting documents. Applicants must include the most recent bills due, and the assigned caseworker will reach out to the creditor to verify all expenses.

In late August the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced five grants to Southern Nevada community organizations to provide 337 per diem beds and $1.6 million in transitional services funding to help prevent and end local veteran homelessness. The funding comes under it’s Grant Per Diem (GPD) Program that provides funding to community organizations offering transitional housing and supportive services for homeless veterans. The goal is to help homeless veterans achieve residential stability, increase skill levels and income, and obtain greater self-determination.

In a prepared statement, William J. Caron, director and CEO of the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System said, “The GPD program is one component of VA’s multifaceted continuum of services and resources to help veterans exit homelessness. No veteran should ever have to worry whether they will have stable housing, and these grants put us one step closer to ensuring all veterans are living in a safe and supportive environment.”

The award period begins Oct. 1 to support three different types of grants:

(1) Per Diem only grants are used to provide transitional housing beds and operate service centers for veterans experiencing homelessness. These grants provide funding in the form of per diem payments to reimburse grantees for the cost of care provided to veterans during the award period.

(2) Special Need grants provide funding to organizations that incur additional operational costs to help veterans with special needs who are experiencing homelessness, including women, individuals with chronic mental illnesses and veterans who care for minor dependents.

(3) Transition in Place grants provide funding to community agencies that place veterans experiencing homelessness in transitional housing while providing them with supportive services. These services are designed to help veterans become more stable and independent, with the ultimate goal of assuming full responsibility for the lease or other housing agreement. When that goal has been achieved, the transitional residence becomes the veteran’s permanent residence and supportive services come to an end.

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has declined by 50 percent since 2010 — resulting from the GPD program and other VA efforts. Locally, between 2011 and 2019, Clark County saw a 52.4 percent decrease in the total number of homeless veterans.

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