Governor Abbott, TVC announce over $31 million in grants for veterans

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) today announced over $31 million in grant funding for veterans across Texas that will be distributed through TVC’s Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) Big Check Tour. This grant funding was approved by TVC Commissioners in May and will total 139 grants awarded to 121 organizations across Texas. These grants are estimated to serve more than 22,000 Texas veterans.

FVA grants support a wide range of services from emergency financial assistance to transportation, legal services to family support services and home modification to rental and mortgage assistance. The TVC awards grants in five categories:

• General Assistance
• Housing for Texas Heroes
• Veterans Mental Health Grants
• Veterans Treatment Courts; and,
• Veteran County Service Officers.

The first round of grants presented in Edinburg last week were given to 16 organizations across South Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, and the Corpus Christi area for financial assistance, peer support, treatment court, home modification, and other services to veterans and their families.

“The State of Texas continues working to improve the lives of our veterans and provide them and their families with the best available resources to thrive,” said Governor Abbott. “I thank the Texas Veterans Commission for their hard work to ensure thousands of our veterans are served through these grants. These courageous heroes and their families deserve our utmost support and respect, and Texas will always honor their sacrifice and service to our nation in the pursuit of freedom.”

“We thank Governor Greg Abbott for his support in getting these needed funds to veteran support organizations across the state,” said TVC Chairwoman and Navy veteran Laura Koerner. “This funding is unique to Texas and we thank the Legislature for creating this grant program in 2009.”

There will be five more grant presentations this month to organizations providing services to veterans in Houston, Tyler, Dallas, Lubbock, and El Paso.

Funding for these grants is generated primarily by the Texas Lottery Commission’s games designated for veteran support. Other sources of funding for the grants come from individual donation options on drivers’ licenses, licenses to carry a handgun, outdoor recreation licenses for hunting and fishing, and vehicle registration.

Texas veterans in need of assistance can find available local organizations at tvc.texas.gov/grants/assistance/

Submitted press release by State Representative Justin Holland’s office.