| Give an Hour Receives Grant from McCormick Foundation |
| Funds to Improve Online Infrastructure and Begin Work in Illinois to Address the Needs of Those Who Have Experienced Military Sexual Assault |
| Washington, D.C. (November 4, 2014)
Give an Hour (https://www.giveanhour.org), a national nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their loved ones, and their communities, is proud to announce that it was awarded a $100,000 grant from the McCormick Foundation. This grant will allow Give an Hour to improve its online infrastructure to increase the number of veterans who utilize their free mental health services and to begin work with various organizations and entities, including the Illinois National Guard and Reserves, to provide counseling for military sexual assault victims. The grant to Give an Hour is part of $5.8 million in funding announced this month by the McCormick Foundation to support journalism, veterans, civics and early care, and education. The McCormick Foundation’s Veterans Program focuses on helping veterans find quality employment, and also helps them navigate the diverse and fragmented array of services available to them. “It can be tremendously confusing for a returning veteran to find programs that help them re-integrate into society,” said Eli Williamson, Director of the Veterans Program at the McCormick Foundation. “With more than 40,000 nonprofits dedicated to veterans across the country and a VA system that struggles to meet the demand, it is of vital importance to highlight the pathways to the right programs with the greatest ease.” Half of the funding will be used to strategize upgrades to Give an Hourís technology systems, processes, and online presence to better engage the population it serves, including the development of a mobile interface to allow those in need easy access to services from a mobile device. The remainder of the grant will allow Give an Hour to develop a program and lay the foundation to provide appropriate mental health support to individuals and their families in Illinois who have filed cases of military sexual assault with the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. The funding will be used to engage in a thorough review of resources available in the state to meet the specific needs of this population and to develop relationships necessary to deliver appropriate care and services to those who are suffering. Give an Hour will identify appropriate stakeholders, map existing resources, and develop an extensive outreach strategy, while increasing the number of mental health professionals in its current network. “Give an Hour has considerable skill and expertise in coordinating community-based efforts to assist those who serve and their families,” says Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour. “By outlining a comprehensive and integrated system of care for those who have experienced sexual assault while serving our country, we will begin to build a coordinated effort that will greatly increase the likelihood that those who have experienced assault, along with their families, have access to qualified mental health professionals familiar with military and veteran culture, military sexual assault, and post-traumatic stress in particular,” she adds. |
| About Give an Hour Give an Hour is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area. The organization is dedicated to meeting the mental health needs of military personnel, their families, and the communities affected by the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Give an Hour has nearly 7,000 providers across the nation – in all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam – with more volunteer mental health professionals joining its network every day. In addition to counseling, providers also consult to schools, first responders, employers, and community organizations. Give an Hour has already provided approximately 140,000 hours of free service, valued at more than $14 million. To learn more, visit www.giveanhour.org |
