Department of Labor Announces Green Jobs Training Grants
$100 million awarded, includes training for veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Jan. 6, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced nearly $100 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The grants will support job training programs to help dislocated workers and other specific populations, including veterans, women, African Americans and Latinos, find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations. Approximately $28 million of the total funds will support projects in communities impacted by auto industry restructuring.

For more information and to see the complete list of grantees, click here.

NCHV Holds Two HVRP Teleconferences in February
Registration now open via email

NCHV is holding two "HVRP Replicable Models" teleconferences in February. These calls – occurring on Thursday, Feb. 4, and Thursday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. EST – will feature current Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) grantees who will share their experiences, approaches to collaboration and best practices. Participants will learn how to capitalize on implementing HVRP funding, and how they can benefit from other grantees’ experiences.

For more information and to register for these calls, click here.

Operation Welcome Home Helps California Veterans
Strives to be "premier resource for info and guidance"

Veterans returning home to California from abroad will have more help making the transition from life in a war zone through a new program, Operation Welcome Home. The program, launched Jan. 6 as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered his annual State of the State speech, promises to bring together state agencies, volunteers and nonprofits to better link veterans with health care, job training, housing and other support.

Provisions for the new program include:

• Hiring 300 recent veterans to counsel the 30,000 servicemembers returning to California annually about benefits and transitional workforce training.
• Establishing nine regional full-time teams to assist veterans in finding employment and job training, educational opportunities, housing, mental and physical health care, etc.

To view the Operation Welcome Home website, click here. For more information on the program, click here.

FEMA Announces Emergency Food & Shelter Program Awards
$200 million awarded for 2010

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on Dec. 31, 2009, that federal funds totaling $200 million have been awarded to assist organizations dedicated to feeding, sheltering and providing critical resources to our nation’s hungry and homeless.

Funding was made available by Congress for the National Board of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program to support social service agencies in more than 2,500 cities and counties throughout the country. These funds are in addition to $100 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds announced in April 2009.

A state-by-state list of the eligible jurisdictions and award amounts is available here. For more information, click here.

2010 NCHV Annual Conference Only Five Months Away

The 2010 NCHV Annual Conference and Membership Meeting will be held June 21-23, 2010, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. This is a special opportunity for service providers to access knowledge, training and experience to increase the effectiveness of their organizations in assisting homeless veterans.

A limited number of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees at the discounted government rate. Click here to make your reservations now.

• Attention members: We need your photos! To celebrate our 20th year, we're putting together a slideshow of photographs from the past 20 years. In order to be included, please email photos that show your organization at work to photos@nchv.org.

For more information on the annual conference, click here.

NCHV Now Accepting Annual Awards Nominations

NCHV members and constituents are invited to nominate deserving individuals and organizations for the following awards:

• Outstanding Member
• Partnership Award
• Public Policy Award
• Unsung Hero Award
• Departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor Staff Awards

Winners will be honored at the NCHV Annual Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C., in June 2010. Submissions can be faxed to 202-546-2063 or emailed to rbrown@nchv.org.

For more information, click here.

Funding Opportunities

DuPont supports programs and organizations that address social progress (e.g. increasing access to opportunity), economic success (e.g. helping people achieve self-sufficiency and enhancing the quality of life) and environmental excellence. Human and health service organizations are regularly supported. DuPont, however, does not provide funding for organizations that discriminate based on race, gender, disability, veteran status, etc.

Most corporate grants involve programs in the DuPont headquarters community of Wilmington, DE, and other communities where the company has a major presence. Grant requests are reviewed in the spring and fall (usually May and September).

For more information, click here.

Harrah’s Entertainment supports its communities through charitable donations of direct funds and in-kind gifts. Its efforts are focused on nonprofit organizations that serve senior citizens, health-related causes and diverse populations.

Click here for a list of Harrah’s properties – including properties in AZ, CA, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MO, NV, NJ, NC and PA – and contact information. For more information, click here.

Please do not respond directly to this e-newsletter. Instead, direct your responses to
rbrown@nchv.org.