The Coca-Cola Foundation Awards $200,000 Economic Empowerment Grant to Operation Homefront
San Antonio, Texas – In recognition of Financial Wellness Month, The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded a grant for $200,000 to Operation Homefront, the national nonprofit serving America’s military families. The grant will provide rent-free transitional housing to wounded, ill, and injured veterans and offer support to service members and their families at Operation Homefront’s three Transitional Housing Villages across the country as they are medically discharged from the military and settling back into civilian communities.
Operation Homefront’s Transitional Housing Villages provide temporary rent- and utilities-free housing to military families as they receive medical treatment or rehabilitation services, transition out of the military, or await approval of veterans’ benefits. They also receive financial counseling, and, by the end of the program, veterans and their families should have VA benefits in place, significantly reduced their debt, and built emergency savings. Since 2008, Operation Homefront has provided over 7,000 months of housing to more than 760 families, saving them nearly $8.5 million in rent and utilities.
In addition, through The Coca-Cola Foundation’s grant, veterans at the Transitional Housing Villages will have access to transition planning, employment coaching, and resources designed to ease their integration back into the community. They will also have the opportunity to expand their support network, essential to their future success. The Foundation, a lead investor in the Villages, has partnered with Operation Homefront since 2017.
“Transitioning out of the military can be a particularly difficult time for many of our veterans and, without the proper support, a short-term financial hardship could turn into a long-term struggle,” said Rear Admiral (ret.) Alan Reyes, CEO of Operation Homefront. “Thanks to The Coca-Cola Foundation’s unwavering support, we will have the ability to help our veterans find a solid path to a stronger, more stable, and more secure future.”
“The Coca-Cola Foundation is pleased to contribute towards the work that Operation Homefront does, in supporting our nation’s veterans’ transition back into civilian life. Through this grant, we aim to provide critical resources and a stable environment that will empower these heroes and their families to build a brighter, more secure future. ” noted Carlos Pagoaga, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation.
Operation Homefront currently operates Transitional Housing – Villages in San Diego, California (serving those primarily being treated at Balboa Hospital and Camp Pendleton); Gaithersburg, Maryland (serving Bethesda Naval Medical Center/Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir); and San Antonio, Texas (serving Joint Base San Antonio and Audie Murphy VA Hospital).
About Operation Homefront
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, 83 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 Operation Homefront’s website.
About The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation’s mission is to make a difference in communities around the world where The Coca-Cola Company operates and where our employees live and work. We support transformative ideas and institutions that address complex global challenges, and that leave a measurable and lasting impact. Our giving is focused on sustainable access to safe water, climate resilience and disaster risk preparedness and response, circular economy, economic empowerment, and causes impacting our hometown community. Since its inception in 1984, The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded grants of over $1.6 billion in service of its mandate to strengthen communities across the world. For more information about our work, visit the Coca-Cola Foundation’s website.
Media Inquiries:
Susan Ziesman – Vice President, Integrated Public Relations
Susan.Ziesman@OperationHomefront.org
(210) 392-6878
