Donor Spotlight: DAV Charitable Service Trust
Freedom isn’t free. The DAV (Disabled American Veteran) Charitable Service Trust (the Trust) provides support to ill, injured or wounded veterans. It serves those who have served. The organization is an important partner of Joseph House in achieving our goal of helping veterans live full, healthy lives.
We sat down with Whitney Hacker, supervisor at the Trust, to discuss its involvement with Joseph House:
Tell us about your organization.
The Trust was established in 1986 to empower veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We offer physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for veterans, ongoing counseling and support for loved ones of those who have served in the armed forces and provide financial support for partner organizations.
Does your organization have a direct tie to veteran affairs and/or addiction treatment?
We have a direct tie to veteran affairs, as we work to ensure that veterans have a high-quality standard of living after they serve. With the growing number of veterans suffering from substance abuse, mental illness and related or co-occurring illnesses, we make it a priority to provide grants to organizations that support and offer services for veterans combatting addiction.
To date, the Trust has been able to financially support services that meet a wide variety of needs in the veteran community, including:
- Mobility devices for veterans with life-altering injuries or conditions, such as amputations or spinal cord injuries, blindness or vision impairment or hearing loss
- Opportunities for evidence-based therapeutic or recreational sessions
- Food, shelter and other necessary items for homeless/at-risk individuals
- Events and activities for physical and psychological rehabilitation
- Outlets for education, training and career readiness
- Counseling support and outreach for veterans’ families and caregivers
How long have you partnered with Joseph House?
Since 2000, the Trust has provided more than $400,000 in cumulative grant funds to support Joseph House’s efforts in helping Greater Cincinnati veterans recover from addiction and reintegrate into society. Most recently, we awarded funds to Joseph House in September 2017 to provide clinical services, case management and facility oversight for homeless and at-risk veterans in substance abuse treatment at Joseph House’s Marx Recovery Center.
What drew you to Joseph House as a place in need of donations?
There are many efforts to support veterans. For example, we partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continually build the capacity of programs that assist sick and wounded veterans, but recognize that we also need to collaborate with nonprofit organizations working toward the same goals to accomplish our ambitious mission. The programs, treatment and support offered at Joseph House are a great fit.
Is there anything else you want people to know about your organization or the importance of giving back to local nonprofits like Joseph House?
The Trust is proud to collaborate with Joseph House in serving our nation’s heroes in such comprehensive, life-altering ways. Programs such as the Marx Recovery Center at Joseph House provide the necessary assistance needed for veterans to overcome the obstacles of substance abuse.