Illinois Joining Forces Receives Grant From Boeing To Serve More Military Veterans

CHICAGO, Oct. 18, 2016 -- Illinois Joining Forces (IJF), a statewide, public-private network of veteran and military service organizations, recently received a $125,000 grant for Veteran Outreach from Chicago-based Boeing. These funds provide continued support for IJF’s online resource center, which provides access to critical resources, such as Housing, Employment, Benefits & Financial Services - for Illinois service members, veterans and their families (SMVF).

Last year, Boeing made a leadership grant that enabled IJF’s launch of its online resource center (www.illinoisjoiningforces.org) to ensure that the needs of military and veteran communities are met and tracked through case management support. With this new grant, IJF will now be able to more effectively measure the capabilities and responsiveness of its more than 200 member organizations and also track individual cases more closely to guarantee favorable outcomes.

Since launching the online resource center earlier this year, IJF has made great strides in reaching SMVFs in the Chicagoland-area. These additional funds will also assist IJF in expanding their footprint statewide, including national guard families in more hard-to-reach rural and urban areas of Illinois, to connect even more service members and their families to the full array of IJF resources.

“Through the support of Boeing, Illinois Joining Forces has already made tremendous progress in our mission to provide one point of entry to the best resources for Illinois’ more than 700,000 service members, veterans, and their families,” said Ken Barber, IJF Executive Director. “The Innovative Solutions grant will enable us to continue and broaden our reach to this important demographic throughout the state.”

Boeing annually grants financial support to organizations that exhibit a strong commitment to improving the lives of veterans.  

“Our military veterans – and their families – deserve the best possible care before, during and after their military service,” said Mike Cassel, director of Global Corporate Citizenship at Boeing. “That’s why we’re proud to support IJF as they make it easier for Illinois service members to navigate and connect to vital housing, health care, education and employment resources throughout the state.”

About Illinois Joining Forces
Illinois Joining Forces (IJF) is a statewide network of public and not-for-profit organizations, along with private corporations - working together to provide resources to Illinois’ military and veteran communities. Through working with partners like the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and Boeing, IJF is taking an innovative approach to assisting U.S. service members, veterans and their families navigate the broad and sometimes-complex system of support. For more information, visit www.illinoisjoiningforces.org or like us on www.facebook.com/illinoisjoiningforces or www.twitter.com/ILjoiningforces.

About The Boeing Company
Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. The company's long-standing commitment to serving the military is underscored by the more than 22,000 veterans hired by the company.

Media Contact:
Beth Dillon
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