THE BOB WOODRUFF FOUNDATION ACTIVATES NATURAL DISASTER FUND TO AID MILITARY FAMILIES DISPLACED BY TEXAS FLOODS

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The fund will provide aid to Combined Arms to assist over 21,000 known veterans in areas affected by the flooding

NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has activated its Natural Disaster Fund, established with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, to provide critical aid to military veterans and military families in response to the widespread property damage, injuries, and loss of life occurred due to recent severe flooding in 88 counties across Southeast Texas. This assistance is being provided directly by Combined Arms, a member of the Bob Woodruff Foundation Got Your 6 Network.

Combined Arms, a valued partner of BWF since 2017, connects veterans and military families to resources they need on the ground, and has identified over 21,000 veterans and military families residing in the disaster affected regions and mandatory evacuation zones. The activated funding will enable the Combined Arms network to provide essential resources including food, water, cleaning supplies, temporary housing, rental of mucking out equipment and other critical needs.

"After hearing about the devastation facing military and veteran families in Texas, we knew we had to quickly mobilize our support," said Anne Marie Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. "Combined Arms is a long-standing and respected organization in the Texas military community. We'd like to thank them for working tirelessly during these difficult times and year-round to ensure that Texas veterans are taken care of - and thriving - no matter the circumstance."

Specifically, the funding will support Combined Arms in the following key areas:

• Connecting impacted veterans to emergency resources within the Combined Arms network.
• Mobilizing over 500 Veteran Neighborhood Leaders to support volunteer efforts for flood response and cleanup in affected communities.
• Coordinating the distribution of emergency items such as food and hygiene products to affected individuals and families.
• Disseminating crucial information from county and city authorities to the community to ensure everyone remains informed and safe.

"Our goal has always been to seamlessly connect veterans with a range of services they need right at their fingertips," said Mike Hutchings, CEO of Combined Arms. "Given the toll that the floods have taken on the military community in Southeast Texas, it is incredibly important to us to provide the vital resources they need to recover in the aftermath of the floods, and we're honored to partner with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to distribute relief funding from its Natural Disaster Fund."

The Natural Disaster Fund, established in November with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, allows BWF to respond quickly and effectively when a natural disaster strikes – providing support to veteran families who are suddenly without the essentials to live. Since 2020, BWF and Craig Newmark Philanthropies have partnered to support 199 veteran and military family organizations and directly impacted more than 1.6 million veterans, service members, spouses, and military children.

"Our veterans have done so much; It's only right that we support them and their families long after they take off the uniform," said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. "With the leadership of the Bob Woodruff Foundation and their partners on the ground, I'm confident we can bring real relief to families in Southeast Texas through the Natural Disaster Fund."

BWF previously supported Combined Arms during Hurricane Harvey in the Texas Gulf Coast region. The ongoing partnership underscores the BWF's commitment to assisting veterans during times of crisis.

About the Bob Woodruff Foundation
The Bob Woodruff Foundation was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has raised awareness about the tough challenges veterans and military families are facing, and invested in solutions to help support them in the next chapter of their lives. To date, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested over $159 million to ensure that our nation's veterans, service members and their families — those who stood for us — have stable and successful futures. Visit. www.BobWoodruffFoundation.org for more information.

About Craig Newmark Philanthropies
Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer and philanthropist, best known for creating the online classified ads service craigslist. Craig's full-time philanthropic work focuses on organizations on the frontlines of protecting America's security and democracy. He has given more than $300 million in support of veterans and military families, trustworthy journalism and civic engagement campaigns, cyber security education programs, hunger relief, and pigeon rescue. Craig was influenced by his Sunday School teachers who escaped the Holocaust, set his moral compass, and taught him to treat people like you want to be treated – and how to know when enough is enough. He stepped away from the day-to-running of craigslist almost two decades ago, but he still occasionally volunteers as a customer service representative.

About Combined Arms
Founded in 2017 in Houston, TX, Combined Arms (CA) delivers innovative technology solutions that improve the quality of life for veterans and military families. CA streamlines the connection between service members, veterans, their families, and the organizations serving them by uniting top-tier partners into a living, breathing network to provide veterans with the support and resources to thrive. Our access extends from online to physical locations and special events. Since 2020, Combined Arms has facilitated over 90,000 resource connections, resulting in an impressive economic impact of $367 million. Our commitment to connecting veterans and their families with resources continues to strengthen our community. To learn more, visit www.combinedarms.us.

Media Contact:
Hillary Ovalle
1954-825-3065
[email protected]

SOURCE Bob Woodruff Foundation