Friends of Delaware Veterans give $40,000 to endowment
To benefit the future needs of veterans through the Delaware Veterans Trust Fund, the Friends of Delaware Veterans Inc. recently presented a $40,000 check to go toward an endowment established in 2019 with the Delaware Community Foundation.
The DCF works with numerous nonprofits across the state to build endowed funds to support sustainable organizations for today and into the future. DCF has offices in Georgetown and Wilmington.
The Delaware Veterans Trust Fund was signed into law in 2013 to provide for emergency needs of honorably discharged veterans of all generations residing in Delaware. It was a collaboration between the State Commission of Veterans Affairs and the Delaware Veterans Coalition, an independent registered lobbying organization made up of veterans who volunteer their time and effort to raise funds for veterans in need.
Under the management of the commission's Office of Veterans Services, the trust fund provides one-time, hand-up emergency grants that have stopped repossession of vehicles and shutoff of utilities, made emergency repairs to homes, and paid back rent to stop evictions. The state initially provided partial funding of $25,000, and the Delaware Veterans Coalition board, comprising volunteer veterans from all branches, began raising additional funds throughout the year. In 2017, the Legislature increased state funding for OVS to $100,000 annually.
The Friends group has continued fundraising efforts through collaborative community events including an annual golf tournament and a black-tie dinner each November, according to Dave Skocik, Friends president. With the $40,000 contribution, the endowment totaled $352,490 in December. The Friends’ goal is to raise $1,000,000 to create a self-funding vehicle for the trust fund’s future use during periods of tight budgets.
All contributions are tax-deductible and can be sent to Friends of Delaware Veterans Inc., ATTN: Wendy Davis, Commission of Veterans Affairs, 802 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 100, Dover, DE 19904.
For more information, call 302-257-3117 or go to delawareveteranstrustfund.com.
