For Immediate Release:

July 31, 2012

Freeholder lauds efforts to further Soldier On

VA Grant would serve veterans and their families

in Monmouth and surrounding counties

FREEHOLD, NJ – A $1 million federal grant will be coming as low income assistance to veterans in Monmouth County and central New Jersey who are at risk of losing their homes.

“This funding will provide much needed housing assistance and stability to veterans in Monmouth County and surrounding counties so that veterans can remain in their homes even when times are difficult,” Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said. “Soldier On, a leader for community-based homeless and at-risk veterans’ housing and services will administrate this grant.”

Soldier On is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies to provide veterans with both shelter and support within an environment that offers dignity, integrity and hope.

The funding is part of a $2.9 million grant provided through the VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) grant program. SSVF grants ensure veterans and their families can obtain the needed assistance with the economic-, financial- and employment-related issues that contribute to being at risk for homelessness.

 “We are working to provide services and programs that our veterans need in the wake of the closure of Fort Monmouth,” Burry said. “Soldier On has 15 years of solid experience developing transitional and permanent housing and successfully creating innovative homeownership opportunities for veterans.”

Burry serves as the county’s representative on the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) and the chairman of FMERA’s Veterans' Advisory Sub-committee.  

“We are most grateful to Rep. Christopher Smith of the 4^th Congressional District for working tirelessly to bring this funding to central New Jersey,” Burry said. “Congressman Smith, worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in support of the grant application.”

“Unfortunately, right now, the concentration of veterans and their families in Central New Jersey are without access to prevention and rapid re-housing resources,” Smith said. “With the VA’s green light, Soldier On will now be able to provide very specialized services to address the needs of a very specific population in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington counties, thereby enabling a federal-private partnership that will truly help our veterans.”

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