A Jacksonville veterans organization got a shot in the arm of the financial kind this month.
The VFW Post 1379 in Jacksonville was the recipient of a $2,500.00 grant from the National VFW Foundation. Post Commander Eric Stock says it was local attorney and VFW member Tyson Manker who first found out about the grant.
“Honestly it was something we didn’t even know about, and Tyson ended up finding it. He went ahead and applied for us and we ended up getting our money pretty quick. We’re real happy to get this grant from National, it’s going to help us keep our doors open for the next month or two. We’re just real pleased it worked out and we hope everybody will come out and see us when we open back up this spring.”
Stock says the grant is going to be a big help, as they too have been feeling the strain due to COVID-19 shutdowns.
“We’ve been struggling, honestly. We had several events planned. We had a bags tournament planned for November, and of course that was about the time we shut down. We’re probably going to have to stay closed until probably March or April. Hopefully we can get back into the swing of things then.”
Stock says the VFW is in the process of applying for assistance through the City of Jacksonville’s Small Business Assistance Program which announced on Monday that grant opportunities are available via the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Applications for the grants that could be for as much as $10,000 are due to the city Treasurer’s Office by the end of business day on Monday. Stock says the VFW is also hoping to qualify for additional Paycheck Protection Loan funding in an effort to help keep things going until restrictions are lifted.