South Bay Veteran Organizations Receive Funding

PALO ALTO, CA — Organizations that serve San Francisco Bay Area veterans will receive more than $1 million in new grants over three years from the Koret Foundation as part of the Bay Area philanthropy’s focus on supporting veterans.

The focus on the grants will be issues including health care, workforce development and transition to civilian life — areas in which government benefits often fail to adequately cover for many veterans.

“Our nation’s veterans have paid a special price in serving our country,” said Michael Boskin, Koret Foundation president. “It is our responsibility to ensure that they have the necessary resources and services to make a successful transition back to civilian life. We hope that our support will raise awareness of the challenges veterans face and encourage other funders to follow suit.”

Bay Area veterans numbering about 23,000 face significant challenges when returning
to civilian life. The Koret Foundation has found that nearly 80 percent left the military without a job and almost 50 percent experienced financial difficulty in the past year. More than 50 percent of Bay Area veterans with significant physical or mental health issues are not receiving care.

As part of the Koret funding, $420,000 will be earmarked over three years to the VA Palo Alto Health Care System to support transportation for disabled or impaired veterans from as far away as Livermore, Modesto, Monterey and Sonora to reach the facility.

In addition, the Foothill-De Anza Community Colleges Foundation will be awarded $15,000 over three years to support the campus Veterans Services Office.

Based in San Francisco, the Koret Foundation is committed to strengthening the Bay Area community and nurturing the continuity of the Jewish people worldwide. Since its founding in 1979, Koret has designated more than $500 million in grants to an array of outstanding organizations.