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Today, the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies joins the nation in expressing our gratitude for the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces.

Over 21-million veterans live in America. Despite their service – and often because of it – these veterans face profound challenges:

  • More than 4.3 million veterans receive federal disability payments.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs compensates more than 865,000 veterans for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  • Nearly 48,000 veterans are homeless on any given night – about 8% of the total homeless population. Half of them have a serious mental illness. 70% have substance abuse problems.
  • More than 8,000 veterans die every year from suicide, nearly 20% of all suicides in the United States.

The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies partners with many of this region’s passionate donors to help local veterans, supporting them through a number of different funds. With scholarships, memorials, and fundraisers, we’re helping to educate and honor veterans right here at home. These funds provide veterans with wheelchairs and access to life-saving services. They provide scholarships to veterans’ family members. They work to make sure communities understand and recognize the sacrifices made by the men and women who make up our military.

Through several CFA funds, we have supported Veteran Community Initiatives, which provides essential social services and job training for veterans in and around Cambria County.

We helped fund a documentary about Sgt. Michael Strank – a Franklin Borough native who became a part of World War II history when he and his unit raised a flag on Iwo Jima, inspiring a world famous sculpture of the moment.

We contributed to a memorial of Lt. Col. Boyd Wagner, who was raised in Nanty Glo and grew up to be a WWII fighter ace with the US Air Force. A re-creation of his fighter plan is mounted in front of Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, preserving his story for future generations.

If you’d like to honor local veterans through the Community Foundation, here are a sampling of funds that you may want to support:

If you would like to support a different veterans-related need, consider creating a fund of your own. To find out how we can help, contact Donor Services Officer Paula Hencel: phencel@cfalleghenies.org, (814) 536-7741, ext. 111.

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