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VETERAN'S QUEST FOR ILLINOIS LOTTERY GRANT
PAYS OFF -- "We love applications ... that
really
get down to helping the most veterans
directly."
Background story on Veteran's Cash is here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/
nfMAY07/nf052407-2.htm
Today's story here...
http://www.news-gazette.
com/news/local/2007/07/27/veterans_q
uest_for_lottery_grant_pays
Story below:
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Veteran's quest for lottery grant pays off
By Pat Phillips
DANVILLE – Ken Cook had no idea what a grant application was, let alone
how to fill one out.
A lot of phone calls and questions later, his efforts on behalf of the
Robert Wurtsbaugh Chapter of the Korean War Veterans have netted the
group $43,860 to spend on goods and services for the Veteran's Affairs
Illiana Health Care System to benefit veterans.
Cook explained it this way: "There's a scratch-off ticket that says
'veterans' on it, and at the end of a year, the money set aside from
that one kind of ticket is to set aside $3 million toward insurance for
veterans who can't afford it and the rest is to be available as grants
for projects that benefit veterans."
That's partially true, said Mike Gough, grant processor for the Illinois
Department of Veterans Affairs. The third year for the special "Veterans
Cash" scratch-off $2 lottery ticket is just getting under way.
"We've had four printings so far," Gough said. "We have about $2.1
million available strictly for helping veterans."
The costs of printing and prizes are the basic expenses involved with
the lottery; the profit goes to finance the successful grant
applications.
Applications must meet one or more of the following criteria: projects
must help with veteran homelessness, post traumatic stress disorder
research, long-term care, cost of health insurance outside of VA
benefits or disability benefits.
Cook got his hands on a copy of the application some time ago. He read
it and set it aside. He read it again and set it aside again.
He kept repeating the exercise and calling various sources and asking
questions, until he was satisfied he could submit the request.
"I thought if we got $5,000, we'd be lucky," said the unassuming but
persistent Cook, still shocked about the results.
Gough said his office has received 64 applications and has awarded seven
grants. The largest request was for $500,000 and the largest award has
been $109,000.
"We love applications like Cook's that really get down to helping the
most veterans directly," Gough said.
On Thursday evening, members of the Korean War veterans group, the state
lottery and the local VA medical center met to symbolically give and
receive the grant money.
"It's the first time we've received any Lotto money," said Bob Robinson,
chief of voluntary and recreation services at the Danville veterans
center. "When Ken came to me with the idea, I was, 'Hey, sure, we never
turn down money.'"
Cook said it wasn't quite that easy, because federal entities are not
supposed to get state money. The Korean veterans association will
receive the money; Robinson and his staff will order items, getting the
tax-exempt benefits, and the veterans group will reimburse the medical
center.
The staff created a dream list that included nine 50-inch plasma TVs
with wall brackets for patient dayrooms, covering 12 months of cable
service for patient TV viewing, covering 12 months for emergency
callback systems for veterans living at home, and large print books and
magazine renewal for the patients' library. The list totaled $43,860,
and the grant covered it all to the penny.
"The plasma TVs may sound like an extravagance, but when you get older,
it's harder to see," Robinson explained. "With today's technology, this
is the best thing going for our patients and that's what the Korean
veterans group wanted. We're just glad the (veterans group was) wise
enough to spot this program."
Cook recently attended a meeting of the Illinois Korean War Veterans
associations.
"I told them, if you don't understand the application, just give me a
call; I've already been there," he joked.
"We are very fortunate," Gough said. "Veterans have noticed the ticket
and are our biggest supporters in the effort to help some of their own.
They actually get angry when they can't find veterans' tickets in the
machines they frequent."
Other organizations wanting to check out the application procedure can
go to
www.state.il.us/agency/dva and click on Apply for Veterans
Cash Grants.
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Larry Scott --
