The Home Front Cares is devoted to providing urgent emergency financial aid and other support for Colorado veterans and military families. Programs include one-time financial grants to families, assistance with energy bills, adaptive housing modifications, and Welcome Home Heroes.
If you would like to apply for assistance, please visit our Help page.
Provides one-time grants to families in need due to unforeseen circumstances aggravated by deployment of a parent/spouse or separation from the service. Shelter (rent, mortgage), car payment, car insurance and other "survival" expenses are among items covered. The average grant currently exceeds $1,300. In Fiscal 2011, we provided aid to nearly 350 veterans and families—a 39% increase over 2010. This aid provides a critical bridge to struggling military families, as the average veteran must wait 14 months for VA medical and financial benefits to process and begin.
Pays utility bills for military families through grants from Energy Outreach Colorado, augmented by our general fund. In FY2011, we gave more than 180 families a total of $102,000 in aid.
Provides financial support for home modifications necessary for disabled service members. Since our inception, we have provided $44,500 to help wounded and disabled veterans complete home modifications that let them safely navigate their homes and perform many tasks that we take for granted, such as turning on a water faucet.
An important morale-builder that shows returning soldiers that their community welcomes and appreciates them. Volunteers from The Home Front Cares meet every plane that arrives in Colorado Springs carrying soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. We hand every returning service member a cheeseburger and soda, greet them and thank them for their service. In May 2012 alone, more than 120 volunteers worked well over 200 hours to welcome two dozen flights carrying nearly 3,500 troops coming home from the war in Afghanistan.
This program also supports family members to visit wounded loved ones out of state in military hospitals and to attend memorial services, as well as welcoming ceremonies for soldiers and families, unit activities, and other functions that are not readily covered by existing military or nonprofit infrastructure.
