USAA and The USAA Foundation, Inc. announced today a new wave of philanthropic support for military members, their families and local communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic, contributing more than $6.3 million in national and local organizations that offer a wide range of critical services. The dollars will provide funding across four main areas: financial support for military families; food insecurity in San Antonio and USAA campus locations; critical COVID-19 medical research and equipment; and help to bridge the “digital divide,” providing low-to-moderate income students and families access to online working and education.
“USAA’s mission calls us to help military families achieve financial security, and we believe that supporting military-focused organizations and the communities where we work and live is part of that mission,” USAA President and CEO Wayne Peacock said. “We’re proud to work with vital organizations that appreciate and respect the sacrifices of military families, to lend a hand in this time of great need.”
The contributions will support COVID-19 vaccine research and treatment efforts through the Southwest Research Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio and UTSA. In addition, these dollars will expand critical COVID-19 testing capacity with a new Panther System at UT Health San Antonio for patients and health care workers on the front lines.
“The USAA Foundation, Inc.’s generous contribution will catalyze the collaborative COVID-19 research efforts of our established partnerships; San Antonio Partnership for Precision Therapeutics (SAPPT) and Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio (VDCOSA),” said Dr. Larry Schlesinger, president and CEO of Texas Biomedical Research Institute. “Through the multi-disciplinary talents of the four organizations, we are positioned to lead global intervention efforts that will bring an end to the current pandemic. Beyond this, this contribution will be a huge boost to the further development of SAPPT, leading efforts in cutting edge research that will generate new therapies that are more effective for our diverse population in San Antonio and beyond.”
LiftFund, a San Antonio-based non-profit which provides financial support for small businesses, is another organization receiving a donation. USAA’s contribution to LiftFund will provide repayment support to veteran business owners and entrepreneurs, waiving four months of loan payments.
Semper Fi & America’s Fund is dedicated to providing immediate financial assistance to combat wounded, ill and injured service members. Support from The USAA Foundation, Inc. will help provide financial assistance for lost wages, groceries, home-delivered meals, household supplies, and other needs for service members, veterans, and family members facing financial stress due to COVID-19.
Working with Operation Gratitude, USAA will help provide care packages for first responders and healthcare professionals across six cities where it has a corporate presence.
Finally, donations will be provided to address the digital divide, which is compounded further when schools and colleges must shut down and move to online platforms. The USAA Foundation, Inc. is supporting three San Antonio organizations, Alamo Colleges Foundation, BiblioTech and SAISD Foundation, to provide needed broadband infrastructure and devices to students and low-to-moderate income households in San Antonio primarily within SAISD, where an estimated 60 percent of high school students do not have access to the internet at home.
“We are deeply gratified that one of the foremost organizations dedicated to serving our community has recognized the key role of the Alamo Colleges District in achieving our shared goal of ending poverty in our region and has given so generously to support our joint goal of social mobility with this very substantial contribution,” said Alamo College Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores. “This gift is especially timely given our students’ need for technology support in order to succeed while learning remotely, and the funding of our Student Impact Fund will go a long way toward addressing the additional needs for financial support that are critical to our students at this time. We thank The USAA Foundation, Inc., for demonstrating their support for our mission of ‘empowering our communities for success’,” he added.
Today’s announcement includes the previously announced additional $1 million for the San Antonio Food Bank. Since early March, USAA and The USAA Foundation, Inc. have committed more than $10.7 million to military-focused, national and local nonprofit organizations in communities across the nation.