ECHO Housing Corporation has been awarded a $135,000 Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) grant from the State of Indiana. The HVRP will help homeless veterans recover from personal and financial issues through employment and education.
The grant award was announced Tuesday by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and ECHO Housing Corporation Executive Director Stephanie Tenbarge at a news conference held at the new Evansville Veterans Administration Medical Center. The VA Medical Center, located just off Burkhardt Road at 6211 E. Waterford Blvd., will provide office space for the program.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke said the grant will help area homeless veterans “prosper and get back on their feet again.”
“It is essential to repay our debt of gratitude to these men and woman who have served our country so honorably,” Winnecke said. He also said the local business community can help further the program and make it successful by employing a homeless veteran.
The $135,000 grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, is renewable for up to three years. ECHO Housing was one of two Indiana non-profit agencies to receive the grant. The other agency is located in Indianapolis, according to Tenbarge.
Tenbarge said the HVRP will provide local employers with candidates who will have a support system intact. Applicants will have multiple resources such as housing to rely on while they search for employment. Click here for more information on the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program.
For video of the event see the Mayor's YouTube Page here.