LUMBEE TRIBE RECEIVES $185,000 GRANT TO ASSIST AMERICAN INDIAN VETERANS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 14, 2016
Picture ID: Courtney Chavis, Grants Specialist (Lumbee Tribe), Zenia Delgado, HUD-VASH, Housing Support Specialist, Geraldine Veirs, HUD-VASH Housing Support Specialist, Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr., Housing Director Bosco Locklear and Grants Manager April Bryant
LUMBEE TRIBE RECEIVES $185,000 GRANT TO ASSIST AMERICAN INDIAN VETERANS
PEMBROKE — Help is on the way for homeless American Indian veterans in the tribal territory thanks to a grant awarded to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
The Lumbee Tribe is excited to announce a partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to address the homelessness problem among our American Indian veterans.
The tribe was recently awarded an $185,604 grant to offer a home and supportive services to 20 Lumbee veterans.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to partner with HUD and the VA to help our Lumbee veterans,” said Courtney Chavis, grant specialist for the Lumbee Tribe.
“With this partnership we will be able to significantly reduce the homelessness rate among our American Indian veterans in the four-county service area.”
Grants Manager April Bryant said she was impressed with the collaboration with the various organizations to meet the grant deadline.
“It was a quick turn around,” Bryant said. “The grant was released at the end of October and we had to submit it by December 2. So we all had to work closely together to make this happen.”
Bryant and Chavis said they were also elated to learn that the Lumbee was the only state-recognized tribe to receive the grant. And it was also the only tribe on the East Coast that was a recipient.
The Lumbee Tribe was among 26 American Indian tribes that received a total of $5.9 million. The money will be used to offer a home and supportive services to homeless veterans and those at the risk of becoming homeless.
The Lumbee Tribe will utilize rental properties throughout the tribal service area of Robeson, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland counties.
The grant will also be used to provide case management and clinical services provided by the Veterans Affairs Department.
“We are excited to be a part of this initiative,” Bryant said. “It feels good to know that we will be able to provide a warm and safe place for our veterans to live.”
