Programs That Support Veterans, Military Members and Their Families
In response to the massive food insecurity problem posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we focus on sourcing, packaging and distributing Vital Meal Kits (VMKs). These contain nonperishable and well-balanced meals. Each food package contains enough food and nutritional value for two people to have three meals a day for 14 days.
Our distribution process follows all COVID-19 health guidelines. Participants have limited interaction as they pick up their VMKs, which are easy to access. To date, we have provided more than 3.5 million meals to Veterans and Military families.
The SAFEHOMES4VETS (SH4V) grant is available to help disabled Veterans by providing a barrier-free living environment, such as a wheelchair ramps, wider doorways, as well as Kitchen and bath upgrade allowing accessible homes, that affords Veterans a level of independent living they may not otherwise enjoy. Veterans and current service members with specific service- connected disabilities may be entitled to a grant for the purpose of modifying their living accommodations to meet their individual adaptive needs, up to the current maximum of $20,000 for 2020.
The Homeless Reintegration Program (HVRP) is an employment-focused competitive grant program of the Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS). It is the only federal grant to focus exclusively on competitive employment for homeless Veterans. The Program has two core objectives: provide services to assist in reintegrating homeless Veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force; and 2) to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless Veterans.
If you are or know of a homeless Veteran looking for full-time employment, please reach out to learn more about HVRP eligibility and the services we can provide. To register for the program or to learn more as an employer, see Jobs4Vets Form.
Contact: Ms. Jooyi Ryan ([email protected])
Through this program, we distribute coats to veterans in need to help make sure that they are safe from the unforgiving winter weather. Coats4Vets is made possible through the generous donations from Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation.
Coats4Vets Buckets were recently distributed to Massachusetts Law Enforcement who are encouraged to select the link below to provide information on their interactions with the homeless. The information provided will allow Massachusetts Military Support Foundation to connect with homeless veterans to offer veteran related services.
Law Enforcement: Please Click here to complete the online form.
Formerly known as Operation Backpack, this program was established in 2013 to address the growing need for school supplies among children of military and veteran families in Massachusetts. We believe that the youth is among the most vulnerable members of veteran and military families, as they are affected by almost every situation and decision. That is why we aim to help these children through the Backpack4Kids program.
To help with their education, we provide them with the basic tools they need to participate in school. This program culminates in late August before classes resume.
The holidays can be exciting and stressful. For veteran and military families, it may also mean that one or more parent is away from home, whether they are on duty or deployed. With Operation Santa, we aim to ease some of the burdens.
We host holiday parties where children can receive toys and choose a gift for their parents. They can also experience exciting pony rides, explore the petting zoo, enjoy the fantastic food, and have pictures with Santa.
The program also provides recreation opportunities for the children and their families throughout the year. Our goal is to relieve some of the stress and anxiety when a parent or loved one is deployed.
Our foundation organizes events to empower the families of our Military men and women. These include the Blue Cross Blue Bike Event, where we surprised the children of our servicemen with bikes.
Support Our Cause
If you are interested in supporting our Foundation through volunteerism in one of these programs, please contact Dawn Roche ([email protected]) or Brenda Meehan ([email protected]) for more information - individuals and groups are welcome. You may also provide financial support by clicking the Donate Now link below.