The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation Donates $4.2 Million to Operation Homefront for Veterans Housing Programs

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Operation Homefront and the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation announced a new partnership to expand Operation Homefront's efforts to provide housing for military families as they transition back to their civilian communities. The Clark Foundation will provide a grant of $4.2 million over two years to expand Operation Homefront's highly regarded Transitional Housing program for wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families, and enable the organization to launch an exciting new program, Transitional Homes for Community Reintegration, to support the housing needs of veteran families in select communities.

The Clark family has long supported veterans' services, and the Foundation proudly carries on their dedication to those who have served in our military. The Foundation targets its support to help post-9/11 veterans navigate the transition from military to civilian life, investing in their health, education and future.

"We are proud to support Operation Homefront and the service members who have honorably worn our nation's uniform, and are humbled to have this opportunity to help build community among veterans, their spouses, and their children," said Joe Del Guercio, president and CEO of the Foundation.

"We are absolutely thrilled to work with the Clark Foundation as they clearly share our deep commitment to making transitional housing available for that very special group of our fellow citizens who have done so much for all of us," said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront. "We believe having a strong, stable and secure home environment allows military families the opportunity to build a brighter future and the chance to thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. The Clark Foundation's very generous grant is incredibly important to expanding our work in this critical area."

The goal of Operation Homefront's Transitional Housing program is to help wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families to complete the program with the financial stability to purchase their own home in the community of their choosing. Since 2008, Operation Homefront's Transitional Housing program has provided temporary homes for more than 500 military families, defraying more than $5.2 million in rent and utility costs.

Operation Homefront's three Transitional Housing Villages provide rent-free transitional housing to wounded warriors and their families as they leave the military. Located near major military medical facilities in San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; and the Washington, D.C. metro area, Villages relieve the financial stress on military families and provide a comprehensive package of individualized support and financial planning services. The generous contribution from the Clark Foundation will fund four additional apartments in each location.

Each participating military family is provided with a rent-free, utility-free, fully-furnished apartment; case management and customized transition plans; one-on-one financial planning; medical referrals; a support network; and assistance with employment and educational opportunities. The injured and their families experience a supportive environment among understanding peers, and most make impressive financial progress during their stay, leaving the Village debt-free or nearly so with an emergency savings plan in place.

In addition to its support for Operation Homefront's existing Transitional Housing program, the grant will fund a new pilot program, Transitional Homes for Community Reintegration. The program will place veteran families in safe, secure, single-family homes for a period of two to three years while providing time, coaching, and training to reduce debt, increase savings, and prepare for independent home ownership. The goal is for families to complete the program with the financial stability to purchase their own home, ideally in the local area where the transitional home is located, so as to accelerate their reintegration to their chosen community.

About Operation Homefront: Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive ? not simply struggle to get by ? in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America's military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.

The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation seeks out grantees who build practical, immediate and concrete connections between effort and opportunity ? from scholarships for engineering students to better schools for DC's children to veteran reintegration programs. The Clark Foundation targets its support of the veteran community to help veterans navigate the transition from military to civilian life, investing in their education, employment, family, health/wellness and sense of purpose.

SOURCE Operation Homefront