On the Lower Eastern Shore, and nationwide, more veterans are coming home to their families and communities. National research shows that more than two million veterans have come home so far from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. While this is positive news, local organizations supporting these men and women are challenged with how to support them. Their needs are as varied as their service to our country.
The recently created Lower Shore Veterans Network, a group of local service providers collectively attempting to meet the varied range of needs for veterans of all generations, began meeting on a monthly basis at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore (CFES) in October.
The Community Foundation will facilitate these meetings to help efficiently channel services and resources to veterans and their families. The group looks forward to continually learning about current and anticipated needs of local veterans and their families and in turn, they hope to meet some of those opportunities facing them through collaborative efforts and resource sharing.
According to Erica Joseph, CFES Vice President, Community Investment, “The Community Foundation is an expert in analyzing community problems and identifying solutions. By serving as a facilitator for the Lower Shore Veterans Network, it gives us the opportunity to evaluate and understand the opportunities that face veterans and their families and to offer assistance in creating solutions.”
“One of the greatest strengths of the Lower Eastern Shore has always been the experience our nonprofit organizations and local citizens bring to issues facing our communities,” said Doug Wilson, President & CEO, Community Foundation. “We are happy to assist this network of local service providers who are helping veterans by fostering a more efficient network of services and resources so they feel welcomed home.”
For more information about the Lower Shore Veterans Network, contact Erica Joseph, Vice President, Community Investment, at 410-742-9911 or ejoseph@cfes.org.
About the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore: Celebrating 30 years of philanthropy, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore (CFES) has been serving the needs of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset Counties granting more than $50 million. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, CFES awarded grants totaling more than $5.4 million in fiscal year 2013. CFES brings together donors and builds on community assets through scholarship grants, advocacy and leadership development. By focusing on people, organizations, neighborhoods and nonprofit capacity building, the Foundation addresses community needs in the areas of health, education, arts and culture, community development and the environment. For more information about the Community Foundation, please visit www.cfes.org or call 410-742-9911.
