Once the grant is awarded, a one-ofa-
kind partnership is established.
Veterans Council of Indian River County supports more than 15,000 veterans and their families while raising awareness of veteran needs and their contributions to society by working with a network of 25 local veteran organizations and 45 non-veteran organizations to provide direct aid and services, including emergency living expenses, home repairs, transportation to medical appointments, and scholarships for veteran dependents. We host Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies, provide volunteer honor guard teams for events and funerals, and give classroom presentations on military service. The 2018 Impact100 grant for our “Veterans Helping Veterans” program allowed the Veterans Council of Indian River County to assist 57 veterans and family members with home repairs and stimulate the economy for local contractors. The success of our 2018 program led us to successfully earn a 2021 Impact100 grant to assist more veteran families and stimulate a post-COVID economy. Impact100’s comprehensive application process improved our administrative procedures, streamlined budget tracking and developed better internal processes. Once the grant is awarded, a one-of-a-kind partnership is established. Perhaps the best depiction of Impact100’s effect on our clients is the story of Floyd Dean, a Vietnam veteran affected by Agent Orange. During the last year of his life, his breathing pain was eased through mold remediation. At his funeral, his widow introduced our manager Carroll Oates saying, “This man is from the group that helped daddy, using the money donated by those angel women,” in reference to the ladies of Impact100.
