MVAA reminds veterans and their families of MVTF’s emergency aid as winter conditions persist

LANSING, Mich. - In the wake of recent severe winter weather, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) encourages veterans and their families to explore available emergency assistance through the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF). The MVTF provides emergency financial aid to eligible veterans experiencing unforeseen financial emergencies.

"As winter descends upon us, shelter, heat and electricity take on even greater significance. The MVTF has a proven track record of providing timely assistance to veterans and their dependents facing situations where they are unable to sustain these potentially life-saving necessities," said MVTF Director Lindell Holm. "We encourage those facing financial emergencies who are eligible to apply for assistance to contact their county veteran services office to begin an application."

The MVTF was created by the state Legislature in 1946 to help wartime-era veterans with a $50 million corpus that has since grown to about $75 million. The Emergency Grant Program is intended to help veterans overcome an unforeseen situation causing a temporary or short-term financial emergency that a grant will resolve and for which the applicant can demonstrate the ability to meet future expenses. Emergency expenses may include utility bills, home repairs, rent and mortgage assistance, etc.

Beginning December 2021, the MVTF Board of Trustees expanded services to peacetime veterans aged 65 and older to offer financial counseling and emergency aid. Like its Emergency Grant Program for wartime-era veterans, the MVTF's 65+ Peacetime Program allows veterans who served in a peacetime era, have at least 180 days of active duty service and were discharged under honorable conditions to apply for emergency assistance.

Applications for assistance are reviewed and decided upon by local committees of veterans appointed by the MVTF Board of Trustees. The seven-member board is appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and has constitutional authority over the Emergency Grant Program expenditures and policies. Since its inception 79 years ago, the MVTF has approved more than 650,000 applications for emergency assistance for veterans and their dependents who were in financial crisis.

In addition to providing emergency financial assistance, the MVTF collaborates with community partners, such as GreenPath Financial Wellness, Inc., to provide financial education and debt management programs for veterans. These services can help many veterans who are struggling to manage their finances or overcome crippling debt. The goal is to help veterans gain financial stability.

To learn more about the MVTF, please visit Michigan.gov/MVTF.

To apply for emergency funds from the MVTF, veterans or their loved ones should contact their local county veteran services office or call (800) MICH-VET for the contact information.

Veterans interested in the free financial counseling can call GreenPath Financial Wellness, Inc., at 1-800-550-1961.

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency - The MVAA is the central coordinating agency, providing support, care advocacy and service to veterans and their families. As a state agency, MVAA works to identify and break down barriers veterans face in employment, education, health care and quality of life, to make Michigan a great place for veterans and their families to call home. More information about MVAA is available at Michigan.gov/MVAA or by reading our FY24 Annual Report.