Student Veterans Association Receives Grant
JONESBORO — Walking onto a college campus after leaving the military can be a daunting experience for student veterans. That’s why the Home Depot Foundation and Student Veterans of America (SVA) are awarding the SVA chapter at Arkansas State University a grant of $10,000 for its veterans center on campus as part of their Vet Center Initiative.
Part of nationwide Vet Center Initiative by Student Veterans of America and the Home Depot Foundation is to support veterans centers on college campuses. The Beck PRIDE (Personal Rehabilitation, Individual Development and Education) Center for America’s Wounded Veterans at A-State is the sponsor of the SVA. Lynda Nash, director of the center, said part of the grant would go toward renovation of the day room at the center.
“The support of veterans for each other is a valuable ingredient in their success when veterans return to school to further their education,” Nash said. “Veterans support each other, learn from each other, develop relationships and provide opportunities for their families to socialize through the student veterans organization.”
Assisting veterans of all services and conflicts, the Beck PRIDE Center has a profound impact on the lives of those who have served the country and their families. Uplifting the fallen and empowering the brave is the motto of Beck PRIDE. Founded in 2007 through the financial support of A-State alumni, Buddy G. Beck and his wife Charlotte, the center's focus is PRIDE — Personal Rehabilitation Individual Development and Education for veterans.
Student Veterans of America and the Home Depot Foundation teamed up in 2014 to launch the Vet Center Initiative, offering SVA chapters a chance to compete for up to $10,000 in grant money to build or renovate a veterans center. By 2015, 61 campuses earned $500,000 to build or rehabilitate veterans centers that benefit more than 30,000 student veterans. This year, 50 campus communities were awarded grants of up to $10,000.
ABOUT STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA:
SVA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit coalition of more than 1,300 student veteran chapters, representing over 540,000 veterans in higher education, across the country. SVA's mission is to provide military veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy to ease veteran and active military students' transition into higher education and leverage military experience to launch successful careers in high-demand fields after graduation. For more information, visit www.studentveterans.org and follow on Twitter @studentvets.
