The TowerCares Foundation supports charitable organizations that serve children in need, as well as brave and heroic veterans, active military, and civilian service personnel who sacrificed while protecting our freedom and their impacted families.
Generous cash and in-kind donations from businesses allow us to direct the vast majority of donations from individuals to supporting worthy charities aligned with our mission. We invite you to get to know more about a few of the charities we have supported thus far.
New! Pennies for Change. Help local military heroes and children in need every time you use your Tower credit card. Details.
The TowerCares grant supports the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore’s Warrior and Family Center located in Bethesda, Md. The Center creates a unique community for active-duty military and is critical to the betterment of the physical and mental health of wounded, ill and injured service members and their families. Grant funds will be used for the Bethesda Center’s hospital services and healing programs.
Ascensions Community Service, Inc. serves Prince George’s County and southeast Washington, D.C. through quality therapeutic services and social initiatives. The TowerCares grant supports the Ascending Veterans River Therapy Program, which uses boating as a rehabilitative and therapeutic tool to help Veterans with PTSD cope with daily life, experience the healing power of water and enjoy the camaraderie and support of other Veterans. Funds will be used to help pay for boat fuel and to buy therapeutic supplies, such as workbooks, journals, interactive games and art supplies.
Sasha Bruce Youthwork provides emergency and long-term services for homeless youth and families in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Md. The TowerCares grant helps fund the Prince George’s Drop-In Center Learning Lab in Mount Rainier, Md., which provides emergency services for homeless, abused and neglected youth. Services include van pick-up from anywhere, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, counseling, health education, school reengagement and food resources. The TowerCares grant will help create up to seven Learning Lab workstations, so homeless youth can search for jobs and participate in distance learning.
House of Ruth empowers women, children and families to rebuild their lives and heal from trauma, abuse and homelessness. The TowerCares grant will support Kidspace, a children’s play center located at the House of Ruth that helps young children overcome trauma-related developmental delays and prepare them for success in school. The program provides speech and occupational therapy and encourages parents to become actively engaged in their child’s positive development. House of Ruth can serve 88 children at Kidspace, including 64 infants and toddlers. Grant funds will help assist in the purchase of swing sets and structures to provide shade on the playground.
American Corporate Partners is a national non-profit organization focused on helping returning Veterans and active-duty spouses find their next careers through one-on-one mentoring, networking, and online career advice. Mentors provide year-long career guidance and professional development to help Veterans seek meaningful employment and avoid underemployment. The TowerCares grant will help fund mentorships between Veterans or military spouses and a professional who shares their same career interest.
Casey Cares provides ongoing, uplifting palliative support to children diagnosed with critical illness and their families. Hundreds of families have reached out to Casey Cares for support as their already stretched finances are near the breaking point due to the necessary care for their child and the ongoing effects of COVID-19. The TowerCares grant will help provide gift cards for groceries, food delivery and streaming services for families in need in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.
The mission of Operation Homefront is to build strong, stable and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities that they have worked so hard to protect. The TowerCares grant will support Operation Homefront Village, a transitional housing program in Gaithersburg, Md. The program provides rent-free apartments to wounded, ill and injured active duty and Veterans and their families as they transition from the military. The goal of this program is to rebuild stability, including financial, employment, education and housing. Caseworkers assist clients and their families to locate the resources they need.
Neighbor Ride enhances the health and quality of life for seniors living in Howard County, Md., by providing affordable, passenger-focused transportation services through a reliable, volunteer-based system. The TowerCares grant will help fund the Driving Heroes program, which provides subsidized transportation for local low-income Veterans, ages 60 and over. Rides are available for essential needs like medical, social, wellness, education and employment. Many of the program’s volunteer drivers are also Veterans.
The mission of Leadership Howard County is to empower individuals so we can strengthen and transform our community. The TowerCares grant will provide tuition subsidies to students in need of financial assistance so they can attend Leadership U, a four-month experiential leadership development and community service program for current high school sophomores who either live or attend school in Howard County, Md. Subjects include: team building, health and human services, diversity and inclusion, local government, criminal justice, and leadership skills workshops. Students also participate in interactive workshops on networking, communication skills, listening and more. Adult mentors are assigned to help facilitate and connect the students with community resources.
Arundel House of Hope provides emergency, transitional and permanent affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness, including Veterans, in Anne Arundel County, Md. The TowerCares grant will support Patriot House, a facility for homeless Veterans. Arundel House of Hope provides employment, training and education for the Veterans, along with support for health-related matters. Veterans can live at Patriot House for up to 18 months, with the goal of transitioning to permanent housing.
Junior Achievement’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in the global economy, and to empower, enrich and inspire the next generation of innovators. The TowerCares grant supports BizTown, a program for elementary school students that combines classroom lessons with a day-long visit to a simulated city. BizTown is free of charge to students that can’t afford to pay. The funds will be used to help pay for at-risk elementary students in Anne Arundel County, Md. to attend BizTown, and for the costs of program materials, curriculum, evaluation, transportation, teacher training and volunteer recruitment/training.
Bridges to Housing Stability works to help end homelessness in Howard County, Md., with a focus on assisting Veterans and families with children. The organization helps provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy. The TowerCares grant will support the Housing Stability Program/The Path Home for Veterans, which provides eviction prevention and rehousing services. Eviction prevention includes working with the landlord, goal planning, budgeting and working with other partner agencies to help subsidize rent. Comprehensive case management is also provided.
Helping Up Mission provides hope to people experiencing homelessness, poverty or addiction by meeting their physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. The TowerCares grant will help fund the Veterans Spiritual Recovery Program, a one-year residential recovery program for Veterans who have experienced homelessness, addiction, poverty and co-occurring mental illnesses. The funds will help provide basic needs (food, shelter, and clothing) and comprehensive wraparound services (access to medical and mental health care, education, workforce development, legal services, spiritual care and life enrichment), resulting in long-term recovery.
To watch a video about Helping Up Mission click here.
For an inspirational story about Helping Up Mission, click here.
Photos courtesy of Helping Up Mission
Hope For All provides basic human necessities to families and individuals living in Anne Arundel County, Md. and parts of Baltimore City, Md., who lack sufficient economic resources. The TowerCares grant will support the Head to Toe program. This annual program ensures that students in need have new undergarments, basic tennis shoes and clothing to attend school and participate in athletics. Each child receives five pairs of socks and underwear, and one pair of tennis shoes. Clothing is provided from an inventory of gently used items. All items are given to school officials so they can discreetly provide them to the children.
Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Wish granting has consistently been evaluated as powerful, meaningful and positive for children fighting critical illnesses. The TowerCares grant will support the Uniformed Services Family Wish Fund, which helps children with critical illnesses, whose parent are active duty, reserve or Veterans. Many of these children reside in the Baltimore/Washington area or are being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The funds will be used to grant requested wishes for children in military families.
Click here to watch a video about the Make-A-Wish Uniformed Services Family Wish Fund.
The National Center for Institutes and Alternatives (NCIA) is an innovative Vocational Training Center in East Baltimore, Md., designed to provide training for Veterans and returning citizens. Their mission is for each participant to become a fully independent and productive member of society. The TowerCares grant will support Quality Vocational Training for Veterans in Need, and provide job training for Veterans in the area of auto repair, commercial driver’s license, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) or unmanned aerial systems (drones). Participants also receive training in financial literacy/budgeting, GED education/testing, housing placement assistance and other life skills to improve their overall living, financial stability and long-term success.
Gigi’s Playhouse, located in Annapolis, Md., seeks to change the way the world views Down syndrome through national campaigns and educational programs, and by empowering individuals with Down syndrome, their families and community. The TowerCares grant will fund Gigi’s Math Tutoring Program, which supports the learning styles of individuals with Down syndrome ages 3 and up, and helps them apply new learned math skills to real-world experiences. The tutoring program helps boost students’ self-esteem and confidence, and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, greater independence and autonomy and increased inclusion in general education classes. The TowerCares grant will go towards the purchase of teaching materials and student take-home kits, the cost of learning lab space and ongoing supply replenishment costs.
Operation Tohidu (OpT) is a five-day intensive retreat for Veterans and active-duty service members who are experiencing service-related trauma. OpT applies adventure-based activities and mindfulness techniques to help participants achieve peace with the past through power in the present. The program helps participants reframe their past experience and trauma by learning new coping strategies and skills. The TowerCares grant will help offset the cost of meals, uniforms, and materials for one Veteran.
The TowerCares grant supports BellXcel’s After School Middle School Program in Baltimore, Md. The program prepares middle school students from impoverished Baltimore City neighborhoods for college and career success. Students in low income families, ages 10-16, participate in the program free of charge. Program goals include maintaining daily attendance in school, increasing literacy/math scores, growing self-confidence and social skills, and encouraging parent involvement.
Project Sanctuary is a therapeutic program that addresses specific needs of at-risk heroes and their families. The program includes marriage guidance, financial sustainability training and PTSD field guide classes. Through a six-day retreat and two years of pre- and post-retreat assistance, families make long-term progress toward self-sufficiency, which helps strengthen the family unit, community, military and country. The TowerCares grant will support a retreat in Reisterstown, Md., for multiple families.
The TowerCares grant supports Project Opportunity, a free ten-week entrepreneurship program for Veterans and active duty/reserve personnel who wish to start a small business or expand a currently operating one. Classes are held in four locations throughout Maryland, including Howard and Prince George’s counties, and are taught by experts in the fields of marketing, law, accounting, banking and sales. Participants in the program learn how to write and implement a formal business plan. Eligible candidates are referred to the program by the State of Maryland, the Maryland Unemployment Office and the Veterans Administration (VA).
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was founded in memory of firefighter Stephen Siller who was killed in the Twin Towers on 9/11. The TowerCares grant to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is designated for the family of Senior Petty Officer Shannon Kent, a Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician stationed at Fort Meade who was killed in the line of duty in Syria. The TowerCares funds will help to pay down Officer Kent’s mortgage so that her husband and two small children can stay in their family home.
Among other programs, Partners in Care provides Veterans 50 years and older with mobility buses, house repair services and the Ride Partners program. Coordinators, staff and volunteers connect Veterans to a range of Partners in Care services. The TowerCares grant will help provide transportation for Veterans to medical services and recreational activities, and will help with respite care for Veterans’ caregivers and family members. Partners in Care provides a hands-on social support network for Veterans to deter isolation and depression.
Fisher House builds comfort homes at military and VA medical centers so that our heroes and their families have a place to stay when dealing with medical treatments. Among other programs they provide, Fisher House supports a Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship program for dependent, unmarried children under the age of 23, whose parent has fallen in battle, died or were disabled through active military service. TowerCares grant funds will be used to help provide Heroes’ Legacy Scholarships.
The Baltimore Vets & Pets Foster Program encourages and supports Baltimore-area Veterans to become foster caretakers for animals housed at the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS). The goal is to increase the physical and psychological health of Veterans and to help guard against suicide. Companion pets can provide Veterans with stability and strength, unconditional love, emotional health and physical activity. The TowerCares grant will help purchase pet supplies and provide veterinary care.
Located in Annapolis, Md., the mission of Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) is to bring the thrill, freedom, and therapeutic value of boating to people with disabilities, recovering warriors, and youth from at-risk communities. The TowerCares grant supports the Recovering Warrior/Family Sailing Clinic, which brings together recovering military and their family members to learn how to sail. Sailing instruction is provided by a professional USCG Masters licensed skipper covering sailing basics to racing strategy and tactics. The TowerCares grant will be used to help fund the cost of sailing, instruction materials, housing, transportation, and more.
The mission of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation is to seek a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life for children and adults affected by these diseases. The TowerCares grant supports Camp Oasis, a summer camp that enriches the lives of pediatric IBD patients by providing a safe, supportive camp community among their peers. The camp offers an environment of self-empowerment for patients giving them a sanctuary where they can simply be kids and have fun. The TowerCares grant will help cover food, camp staffers, equipment, and supplies for three local children that could not otherwise afford camp.
The Literacy Council of Carroll County is a non-governmental, non-profit, primarily volunteer organization that provides one-on-one tutoring for clients in need of reading, writing, and mathematical skills improvement. TowerCares’ grant will help support the Carroll Veterans Career Assistance Program, which provides veterans residing in Carroll County the opportunity to develop skills, competencies, and strategies for successful transition from military service to a position within their desired career field.
The renovation of Kuhn Hall on the Fort Meade base will create a new 9,000 square foot Resiliency & Education Center to help soldiers, veterans, DOD civilians, and their families connect to resources and empower them to be the best that they can be. The new center will help connect Fort Meade community members to local wellness programs, mental health services, education and transition services, substance abuse counseling, and legal assistance. As the first designated check-in facility for new military families, the center will provide services for transitioning military families to link to area schools, housing, and other services. The TowerCares grant to the Fort Meade Alliance Foundation will help provide a kiosk in the lobby of Kuhn Hall with a directory of available services and programs.
Operation NPLB Outdoor, Inc., affiliated with Operation Second Chance, is committed to serving wounded, injured and ill combat veterans. The organization supports veterans while they recover in military hospitals, including Walter Reed Medical Center and their families, by building relationships and identifying and supporting immediate needs. The TowerCares grant will fund outdoor events designed to help veterans who are having trouble adapting to life after being wounded. They can learn to deal with their physical and mental injuries, see that they can still do things they did before they were injured, get back out in society, and feel accepted.
The mission of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is to help find missing children, reduce child exploitation, and prevent child victimization. Since 1984, the center has served as the national clearinghouse and resource center for families, victims, private organizations, law enforcement and the public. The TowerCares grant will help fund the center’s Volunteer Engagement Program, to increase the potential of reaching more families and children with recovery assistance and critically important safety education. Volunteers will be trained to assist with missing and exploited children and their families, with the hope of reaching a larger audience by increasing the number of volunteers both locally and nationally.
Hope for Warriors provides comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans, and military families that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources. The TowerCares grant will help fund Couples Wellness Retreats for post 9/11 military combat-injured veterans and their spouses. The retreats provide time for relaxation and reconnection with the ultimate goal of improving well-being, both as an individual and a couple.
Camp Attaway is a summer day camp program in Howard County, Md. for children ages 7-13 with emotional and behavioral challenges. The three-week camp offers a variety of activities designed to ensure a safe, therapeutic environment, and most importantly, fun-filled days for children, along with a weekly support and education group for parents. Campers learn life skills like coping, self-control, positive image, and making friends. TheTowerCares grant will help provide scholarships/tuition assistance.
The Maryland Family Network (MFN) ensures that children ages, birth through five, years and their families have the resources to learn and succeed. MFN is the only statewide early childhood advocacy organization. The TowerCares grant will provide funding for a two-day Parent Café at or near Fort Meade. During the Parent Café, parents of young children learn strategies to increase their knowledge and skills, reduce stress/increase peace and well-being by building family strengths to help reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect, and build a peer-to-peer process which engages parents in meaningful conversations and provides significant opportunities for parent leadership to create Parent Cafés in their communities.
A Wider Circle provides basic needs such as furniture and other household items for families living in poverty. TowerCares’ grant funds will be designated to help 100 veterans and their families transform their homes into comfortable, dignified spaces helping them take the first steps on their journey out of poverty toward independence.
Families of National Guard, Reservists and wounded warriors from all branches of service face unique challenges: they live in civilian communities, but lack the support of a military base. Our Military Kids helps children ages 5 through high school to improve their physical health, and reduce the stress and accompanying psychological symptoms observed in children of service members who are deployed or severely injured. The TowerCares’ grant will be used to fund extra-curricular activities in sports, the arts and tutoring.
Operation First Response offers assistance to wounded military members and their families facing financial difficulties due to injury or illness. Support is provided throughout recovery and the transition from military to civilian life. Financial assistance is available to cover emergency basic needs such as groceries, utility bills, rent and clothing. TowerCares’ grant will help assist 20 wounded military heroes and their families in our service area.
No Warrior Left Behind is committed to honoring, saluting and supporting members of the military and first responders. Their Operation Hidden Wounds program focuses on education and training for law enforcement and first responders who are frequently called upon to handle escalated situations with veterans who suffer from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, as well as those at risk of committing suicide. The program seeks to identify appropriate remedies, alternative therapies and best practices to obtain a peaceful resolution. Veterans participate in the training by sharing their experiences.
The National Military Family Association has assisted military families for close to 50 years. The TowerCares grant supports the Military Spouse Scholarship and Employment Program. Challenges due to the military lifestyle, and the rising cost of education and licensure, are significant barriers to military spouses and has led to a high unemployment rate among this group. The TowerCares grant will provide scholarships for military spouses in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. area so they can complete their education. The NMFA also hosts Operation Purple Camp, a week-long camp which brings together children of wounded, deployed or reintegrating service members to help them learn effective communication skills and build relationships with peers that have shared military experience. TowerCares grant funds helped send 100 military children living in our service area to camp.
The Travis Manion Foundation works to empower veterans and families of fallen heroes to help develop character in future generations, and to assist veterans in their transition from service. The TowerCares grant supports the Character Does Matter program, which leverages the skills of our military community as role models, educating youth on character and leadership. Individuals involved in the program are empowered to improve their well-being and mental health by finding meaning and purpose in their lives, developing meaningful relationships and fully engaging in activities. Veterans volunteer as mentors to inspire students to live a life of service, leadership and integrity.
Comfort Cases provides overnight bags for youth, newborn to age 21, entering the foster care system in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Each bag is filled with new items including pajamas, blanket, stuffed animal, book, fun activity, hygiene kit and dental kit. Entering foster care is a chaotic and scary experience, and Comfort Cases helps to provide basic needs, comfort, and a sense of dignity by providing children a special bag they can call their own.
To view Comfort Cases’ wishlist of donated items, click here.
Comfort Cases was recently featured on NBC News! Click here to watch the video.
The STARS Foundation of the Reserve Officers Association supports the mental and physical well-being of those serving in the National Guard and their families. The National Guard and Reserve continue to have high numbers of suicide and problems with post-traumatic stress disorder. TowerCares sponsored a mental health seminar for those serving in the National Guard and Reserves in June 2017. Attendees included Congressional members and staff, Pentagon senior leaders, and service members from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Warrior Canine Connection offers a unique program in which veterans train companion animals for fellow veterans who suffer from brain injuries or post-traumatic stress. The organization currently operates in three states, and has been recognized at the highest levels of the Department of Defense. Their Mission-Based Trauma Recovery Therapy Program is part of the medical protocol at many military hospitals.
Patriot Point provides a relaxing and safe environment to enjoy outdoor recreational activities for our nation’s wounded service members and their families. It gives a much needed respite in a country setting to active and retired military personnel. Located near Cambridge, Md., Patriot Point provides activities, accommodations, meals, and therapeutic services. TowerCares donated several new kayaks and paddleboards for use by guests, and is funding the addition of a guesthouse wheelchair lift to provide needed access for disabled veterans.
Located in Brookeville, Md., Hero Dogs trains and provides service companion animals for disabled veterans. It takes almost three years to complete the training/placement process at a cost of almost $40,000 per placement. TowerCares helps fund the last phase of training, where the veteran and service dog are matched and begin their lives together.
Final Salute, Inc. provides emergency housing programs for women veterans and their minor children. TowerCares supports Project H.O.M.E. (Housing Outreach Mentorship Encouragement) which provides transitional housing, food, clothing, transportation, child care assistance and other essential support services for homeless women veterans and their children in Final Salute’s Emergency Housing Facility in Virginia. TowerCares also provided funds to assist with much-needed renovations of the homeless shelter.
The Boys & Girls Club of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County serves more than 2,200 youth, ages 6-18, throughout Anne Arundel County. Their before- and after-school programs provide a safe, nurturing environment with a focus on community service, outreach, academic success and career preparation. The TowerCares grant provides a transportation subsidy for at-risk youth so they can participate in and benefit from programs to help them learn, grow and succeed.
TowerCares supports the U.S. Naval Academy Beyond School Walls Program, which pairs midshipmen with at-risk elementary school-aged students in Anne Arundel County. Each month, students in grades 3-5 at Germantown Elementary are transported to the Naval Academy to spend two hours with their mentors engaged in STEM and other enrichment activities designed to promote positive youth development.
Paul’s Place works to help improve the quality of life in Southeast Baltimore communities through programs, services, and support that strengthen individuals and families, fostering hope, personal dignity, and growth. TowerCares helps fund after-school programs for students in grades 1-12 at which they can enjoy a hot meal and personal support while pursuing academic interests, recreation, and job skills in a safe and nurturing environment.
The Maryland Center for Veteran Education & Training, located in Baltimore, MD, empowers homeless Veterans to achieve economic self-sufficiency and residential stability. The TowerCares grant will support the Keeping Our Veterans Safe Program, an on-going comprehensive upgrade of the facility’s security systems and processes to provide an enhanced level of security for homeless Veterans living there and staff. Previous TowerCares grants have helped provide a Study Room/Computer Café for Veterans in need to use for workforce development, college endeavors and to connect with their families and other students.
To watch a video about MCVET’s services, click here.
Zachary Hebda Foundation provides support and programs for children battling cancer. TowerCares supports Camp Sunrise, an annual summer camp in Annapolis, Md. that provides a normal camping experience for young cancer patients. Camp Sunrise is 100% cost free to campers and provides 24-hour pediatric oncology medical support, all meals, daily activities, lodging, prizes and a lifetime of memories.
The first initiative of the Fort Meade Alliance Foundation, this scholarship assists students who have a financial need and are graduating from Meade High School with plans to study science, technology, engineering, math (STEM subjects) or linguistics in college.
This program includes the annual Veterans Day event that honors veterans for their service, and the Honor Salute Program that provides a final tribute to veterans in hospice care.
Do you like to quilt or crochet? Click here to learn about a volunteer opportunity with the Hospice of the Chesapeake.
The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, a local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, offers one of the most comprehensive pediatric medical programs in the country, with more than 92,000 patient visits and nearly 9,000 admissions each year. It is Maryland’s largest children’s hospital and the only state-designated Trauma Service and Burn Unit for pediatric patients.
TowerCares supports the Maryland Therapeutic Riding Equine Services for Heroes program, which provides equine therapy for active military and Veterans wounded in the line of duty. TowerCares’ donation will provide an entire year of ridership for one injured military member.
Our grant supports licensed daycare for the children of families staying at Sarah’s House, a transitional homeless shelter. Through access to this childcare, parents are able to seek employment or job training that can ultimately help them escape homelessness.
The grant supports a variety of programs meant to bring joy to military families associated with Fort Meade.