SD Gunner Fund has been awarded $40,000 as part of the Veterans United Foundation 10-Year Campaign, according to a press release.
Veterans United Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization created and driven by the employees of Veterans United Home Loans. Launched in 2011, Veterans United Foundation is built on employee contributions that are matched dollar-for-dollar by Veterans United Home Loans. It has raised more than $50 million for veteran organizations, military families, and the local communities that they serve.
When employees of Veterans United Home Loans were given the opportunity to nominate an organization that they care about to celebrate the foundation’s 10th year anniversary, Sami Rowe-Tillinghast jumped on the opportunity. Rowe-Tillinghast is a longtime supporter and advocate for SD Gunner Fund, a Savannah based non-profit with a mission to assist veterans, children with disabilities, and first responders while inspiring disability awareness through public education and advocacy. SD Gunner Fund is most known for their Service Dog training and recipient matching program. Rowe-Tillinghast, a veteran herself, has a service dog trained by SD Gunner Fund.
“I am so excited to see the impact that his grant will have for SD Gunner Fund,” Rowe Tillinghast said. “SD Gunner Fund has helped me so much personally and they do so much good in our local community here in coastal GA. I would love to see SD Gunner Fund expand their reach further and help more veterans with the life changing impact that a service dog can provide. Norbert, my service dog, has allowed me to have a lot more freedom and live in less fear that everything and anything could make me sick.”
The $40,000 will be used to fund SD Gunner Fund’s “Journey with a Purpose” project. It will fund a travel trailer that will enable SD Gunner Fund to safely transport service dogs to their recipient families once training is completed, travel with service dogs to provide education and advocacy to the 25 programs across the country that they support, and it will provide local emergency assistance to those in need with pets during a natural disaster.