The Mission Continues Awarded Nearly $1.5 Million In Investments From Partners To Strengthen Communities
The veterans' nonprofit will fund programs designed to support veterans' mental health and community recovery in the wake of COVID-19.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit that empowers military veterans to continue their service in their communities, has received five investments totaling nearly $1.5 Million from new and long-time partners The Boeing Company, NFL-Bob Woodruff Foundation, Corporation For National and Community Service, The New York State Health Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust, as recommended by the Schultz Family Foundation.
These investments will empower The Mission Continues' efforts to fuel ongoing veteran-led service efforts within under-resourced communities, combat food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and improve veterans' mental health by creating social connection and volunteer opportunities.
This summer, the veterans nonprofit launched Operation Nourish, an initiative that prioritizes veterans' mental health by mobilizing them in support of combating hunger. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of household food insecurity have more than doubled and one in six Americans report not having enough food to eat. The Mission Continues' veterans are coming together to host food drives, run mobile food pantries, deliver meals to the elderly, make improvements to local community centers providing food and more.
"During this pandemic, our veterans are doing what they do best - showing up for the communities they've worked with for years," said Mary Beth Bruggeman, Marine Corps veteran and president of The Mission Continues, "We're incredibly grateful for these generous investments from our partners which will ensure that this work is able to continue and scale effectively. Through efforts like Operation Nourish, veterans will strengthen social connections while helping to support community members who have been hardest hit by this pandemic."
The Boeing Company has invested $1 Million in support of Operation Nourish as part of the company's commitment to partnering with organizations that improve access for and address inequities in communities of color. Through Operation Nourish and other community initiatives, veterans with The Mission Continues mobilize to grow, collect and distribute food in underserved communities.
The organization's Service Platoon Leaders are being supported by a partnership between the NFL-Bob Woodruff Foundation through a "Healthy Lifestyles and Creating Community" grant. These veterans lead groups of community volunteers through service projects that provide direct support to vulnerable communities impacted by COVID-19.
The nonprofit's leadership programs, which engage veterans in virtual and in-person curriculum oriented towards personal and professional growth, connection with other veterans and creating community impact, have also received support from the National Philanthropic Trust as recommended by the Schultz Family Foundation, a long-time partner of The Mission Continues.
As part of an initiative known as Mission: Vet Check, the New York State Health Foundation has awarded a grant to The Mission Continues' New York-based Service Platoons to engage in veteran-to-veteran buddy checks throughout the state. Throughout the pandemic, veterans are reporting higher levels of social isolation, depression and anxiety. The buddy-check model is one way to ensure veterans are connected to the resources and services they may need.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering and service, has contingently awarded the organization a Day of Service grant. The Mission Continues is actively seeking match partners to realize this award. The nonprofit will utilize this grant in the execution of their 2021 MLK Jr National Day Of Service, when thousands of veterans from across the nation will come together in service and in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy.
These investments highlight each organization's deep commitment to veterans' empowerment and will have a positive impact on hundreds of veteran participants pursuing community-based leadership and personal development in 50+ cities nationwide.
For more information about The Mission Continues' leadership development programs for veterans, their response to COVID-19 and local service projects across the country, visit http://www.missioncontinues.org.
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The Mission Continues is a national veterans organization dedicated to the empowerment of veterans as community-based leaders. We invest in veterans and under-resourced communities, developing new skill sets and equipping a growing veteran volunteer movement with the tools to drive positive change. Our programs in 50+ cities nationwide deploy veteran volunteers alongside nonprofit partners and community leaders to combat food insecurity and strengthen communities. To learn more, visit http://www.missioncontinues.org.
SOURCE The Mission Continues
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