State Offers Help

Above: The Grant County People Mover, one of the local providers that partners with the state and federal government to transport Oregon veterans to their medical appointments each year through the Highly Rural Transportation Grant program.

In uncertain times, grant opportunities abound to meet needs of oregon veterans

By Sarah Paris and Jacqueline Kemp, Veterans News Magazine

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is proud to offer many funding opportunities to cover a variety of needs for Oregon veterans.

Active grants available to individual veterans include the Veteran Educational Bridge Grant for student veterans, and Emergency Financial Assistance Funds available to veterans and their immediate family. Both of these grants continue to be available; you may apply individually or ask for assistance through your local County Veteran Service Office (CVSO). Find your CVSO at oregon.gov/odva/Services/Pages/County-Services.aspx.

The Veteran Educational Bridge Grant is specifically designed to help Oregon veterans complete their educational goals by providing financial assistance to veterans who are unable to complete their education or training due to the unavailability of one or more required classes.

To date, ODVA has awarded over $220,000 to nearly 50 student veterans in academic and training programs that include traditional degrees, professional certificates, flight programs and apprenticeships. More information about this program is available on page 16.

Emergency Financial Assistance Funds are available to veterans and their immediate family (spouse, unremarried surviving spouse, child, or stepchild) who need emergency financial assistance.

Assistance includes, but is not limited to, emergency or temporary housing and related housing expenses, such as expenses for utilities, insurance, or house repairs; mortgage or rent assistance; emergency medical or dental expenses; and emergency transportation expenses.

Assistance is granted one time only and average award amounts vary. To learn more and apply, visit oregon.gov/odva/Benefits/Pages/Emergency-Assistance.aspx

The Campus Veteran Resource Center Grant, administered by ODVA and funded by Lottery dollars through Measure 96, is designed to expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers and bolster other services aimed at improving outcomes for student veterans at Oregon’s public universities and community colleges.

In 2020, all 14 of the public universities and community colleges that applied for a grant received a portion of the available grant funds. The one-time grants ranged from $25,830 to $ 79,290.

Rogue Community College's Campus Veteran Resource Center has been one of the beneficiaries of the Campus Veteran Resource Center Grant program.

The Veteran Service Grant, another ODVA-administered program supported by Measure 96 Lottery dollars, funds key projects that will improve veterans’ access to transportation, housing, health care and other vital services across the state.

In 2020, a total of 20 organizations received one-time grant awards ranging from $10,000 to $102,179. Organizations eligible to apply for this grant must be designated as a nonprofit or veteran organization, or a tribal, regional or local government.

Both of these grant programs have been renewed for new cycles of funding.

Project ABLE received grant funding for peer support and recovery, hope and wellness programs in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. More on page 28.

Two programs aimed at helping rural veterans gain health care access are the Highly Rural Transportation Grant, a federal VA program administered by ODVA, and the Rural Veterans’ Health Care Transportation Grant, which was Lottery-funded and jointly administered by ODVA and ODOT.

The first grant is an annual program offering funding to local transportation providers in counties designated by the federal VA as “highly rural.” The second program is similar, offering grants of between $10,000 and $50,000 to providers in areas not served by the Highly Rural program.

To learn more about ODVA’s grant programs and subscribe to updates, visit oregon.gov/odva/agency-programs/ grants/Pages/default.aspx.