Four County group receives support from Purdue to help improve access to veteran resources

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Military Family Research Institute and the Purdue Center for Regional Development recently announced that the Four County Joining Community Forces Military Supportive Communities Initiative (MSCI) Pathway Project proposal was accepted.

The group will receive a $2,000 grant that will be used to strengthen the capacity of military/veteran families in accessing local resources within the region. Another aspect of the Pathway Project is to engage team members in outreach, both to identify rural veterans and families and to connect these individuals to resources and organizations.

“The Four County Joining Community Forces group, previously called the East Central Indiana Military Network, was established in 2011 for Howard, Miami, Cass and Pulaski counties,” said Phil Turner, facilitator of the Four County group. “Fulton County was added to the group in 2014. The Four County Joining Community Forces group is one of 16 meetings across Indiana sponsored and supported by the Indiana National Guard Family Assistance Program and the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue. The purpose of the group was to involve military members, veterans and their families as stakeholders to be a ‘force multiplier’ for the entire Indiana network.”

The Four County group focuses on military/veteran employment, education, mental wellness, homelessness, financial literacy and legal issues. They started the MSCI process in March 2019 and submitted their Pathway Project application in June 2020.

Members of the team will continue to study demographic and economic data on their region and have developed the skills needed to identify and act on priorities designed to benefit military and veteran families.

The group would help sponsor and support mental wellness seminars, annual veteran stand-downs, homeless and housing establishment promotions, the Reaching Rural Veterans program, outreach to emergency food pantries and veteran treatment courts. The group has over 60 stakeholders meeting bimonthly at various sites within the region. 

About MFRI

The Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) at Purdue University conducts research on issues that affect military and veteran families and works to shape policies, programs and practices that improve their well-beig. Founded in 2000, MFRI envisions a diverse support community that understands the most pressing needs of military and veteran families. To achieve this, MFRI collaborates to create meaningful solutions for them. This internationally recognized organization is located at Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

About the Purdue Center for Regional Development

The Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) seeks to pioneer new ideas and strategies that contribute to regional collaboration, innovation and prosperity. Founded in 2005, the Center partners with public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to identify and enhance the key drivers of innovation in regions across Indiana, the U.S. and beyond. These drivers include a vibrant and inclusive civic leadership, a commitment to collaboration, and the application of advanced data support systems to promote sound decision-making and the pursuit of economic development investments that build on the competitive assets of regions.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 5 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://purdue.edu/.

Media contact: Matthew Oates, 765-586-7496 (cell), oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates

Sources: Rena Sterrett, Military Family Research Institute, 765-496-3655, rsterret@purdue.edu, @MFRIPurdue

Phil Turner, Four County Joining Community Forces, turne188@purdue.edu

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