Twelve Pennsylvania county Veterans Affairs offices have been awarded $150,000 in grants, and 21 charitable or Veteran Service Organizations have received $650,000 in grants from the Veterans' Trust Fund (VTF), administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).

The VTF is funded by Pennsylvanians who voluntarily make a donation when applying for or renewing their driver's license, photo ID, or motor vehicle registration. Additionally, the VTF receives proceeds from the sale of the Honoring Our Veterans and Honoring Our Women Veterans license plates and private donations. Since the grant program began in 2013, a total of more than $6.6 million has been awarded to organizations that serve Pennsylvania veterans.

Grantees slated to receive funding identified over $2 million in matching funds pledged toward grant-funded initiatives. Combined with the VTF grants, the fundraising efforts will result in more than $2.8 million for veterans' initiatives in Pennsylvania over the next two years.

A total of $150,000 in grant funding was available for new, innovative, or expanded programs or services provided by county directors of Veterans Affairs or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs. The three areas of emphasis for grantees in this category were veterans' outreach, transportation services, and homelessness.

Among the grantees was the Chester County Office of Veterans Affairs, which receive $15,000 to provide outreach and awareness services to veterans.

The VTF grant also identified $650,000 in funding available to veteran service organizations with 501(c)(19) status and nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable organizations with a mission of serving Pennsylvania veterans. Funding priorities for grants in this category were transportation services, behavioral health initiatives, homelessness, and employment and education.

The grantees include Building Bridges Foundation at Anderson Farm in Conestoga, receiving $40,000 to provide interactive equine therapy to veterans; the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg, $40,000 to support the Military Share program; Good Karma Garage in Harrisburg, $39,100 to provide reduced vehicle repair costs and services to veterans; Guitars for Vets, Chapter 90, in Lancaster, $4,950 to provide therapeutic services to veterans; and rabbitCARES in York, $35,000 for transportation services to veterans.

All grant awards are contingent upon the completion of a fully executed grant agreement.

To learn more about the VTF and to donate, visit http://www.donate.dmva.pa.gov.