Serving Our Wounded Warriors

By a show of hands, how many of you have parents, siblings, or other

family members who have served or are currently serving in the
military?
(Wait for a response from audience and respond accordingly)
So some of you know what impact war can have on soldiers and their
family. There is much respect to be paid to those who risk their life for
this country. Let us just pause for a second;
(Serious tone)
I want you to imagine this. You are in Afghanistan and you are on patrol;
everything is quiet and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. All of a
sudden, you hear machine-gun fire from what seems to come from all

around you. Then, you come into contact with the enemy. Bullets are
flying and it is safe to say that you would be thinking a number of
things, right? Things like, I have to protect my unit, I have to make it
home to my family, I hope I dont get shot.
(Pause and wait for a response from the audience)
Lets say you diffuse the situation and make it out unharmed; you were
lucky. Unfortunately, not all soldiers in those situations are. Some are
killed in action, some pass away while being transported to the trauma
unit, and others are injured to the point where it interferes with their life
after the military; during which they have to transition back into civilian
life. Did you know that, according to the National Alliance to End

Homelessness, in 2014 there were 49,933 homeless veterans? This

number represented 8.6 percent of the total homeless population.
(Pause for emotional effect)
Although this is a significant decrease from previous years, it is still a
noteworthy amount of veterans. Some of the primary reasons veterans
end up in these situations are because of limited education or
transferrable skills as well as combat-related physical health and mental
health issues and disabilities, just to name a few.
(More conversational tone)
Mental and physical health issues are what the Wounded Warrior Project
aims to prevent. Not only does it help these wounded veterans, but it
helps get the warriors back on their feet and back to their normal lives.

The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2003 by injured veteran

John Melia. With the help of his friends and family, Melia created a
nonprofit organization designed to help the men and women who have
been injured during their service in the military. It is a national
organization with nine offices in the U.S., as well as an international
office in Germany. Tens of thousands of wounded service members and
their caregivers receive support each year through the programs and
services offered by the WWP.
As an organization, we at the Wounded Warrior Project are working
tirelessly to expand and work in a variety of different fields to
accomplish our mission of honoring and empowering our wounded
warriors.

Currently, we are working to achieve that mission and meet our goals in
a variety of ways. WWP has four programs that are designed to fulfill its
mission. WWP programs are designed to stimulate the mind and body
while allowing for economic empowerment and engagement. These
programs include: Combat Stress and Recovery, Family Support,
Physical Health and Wellness Program and WWP Backpacks.
The Combat Stress Recovery Program serves the mind or the mental
well-being of our wounded warriors. The Combat Stress Recovery
Program meets the mental health needs of wounded warriors returning
from war. CSRP provides military rehabilitation services at key stages
during a warrior's readjustment process. While post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) and operational stress are common after wartime

experiences, the Wounded Warrior Project approaches these issues from

the warrior's perspective. Because we understand the stigma attached to
mental health, access to care, and interpersonal relationship challenges,
we have developed a two-fold method to work with veterans suffering
from these problems.
First, we challenge warriors to think about goal setting. Here, we work
with them to set out realistic goals that they can expect from themselves
in readjustment. Next, we work with them to understand their "new
normal." By breaking up our program into these two steps it allows for
our veterans to realize that they are accomplishing something in their
pursuit of normalcy.

When Americans go to war, so do their families. That simple line is the

entire theory that our Family Support program is based off of. The
program offers different ways for the families, caregivers, and spouses
of our veterans to relax and take a break through a variety of wonderful
weekend retreats. Everyone needs a break every once in a while and the
Family Support program does this by providing support to the families
of those who have been wounded, injured, or killed during combat
operations.
Our Physical Health and Wellness Program empowers wounded
warriors by offering recreational activities to help improve their physical
health. It serves all warriors including those with amputations, spinal
cord injuries, burns, visual impairments, traumatic brain injuries and

post-traumatic stress disorder. Physical Health and Wellness has

something to offer warriors in every single important stage of recovery
such as the following: inclusive sports, fitness programs, nutrition
advice, and spiritual programs.
Our final program that we are currently involved in is WWP backpacks.
In this program we ask local communities and our student ambassadors
to donate necessary care and comfort items. This can be anything from
clothing, toiletries, and calling cards. We then collect these items and put
them in backpacks, which we give to severely wounded soldiers upon
entering the military trauma center. Transitional Care Packs, which are a
smaller version of these backpacks, ship directly to Afghanistan and Iraq
for immediate comfort for the wounded warriors who are moving to a

different U.S. military trauma center. Jerry McDonald was one of our
many wounded warriors who received one of these backpacks. Mr.
McDonald had just found out two days earlier that he had become
paralyzed in an explosion. After receiving one of our backpacks he
wrote us a letter saying that knowing that other people were appreciating
his sacrifice was invaluable in keeping his mental toughness up about his
recent parallelization. It is cases like his that make us immensely proud
to volunteer for our men in uniform.
As you can see, WWP is not limited to a single approach in helping our
wounded warriors. We understand that every soldiers experiences are
different and we tailor our programs so that we can address as many life
situations as possible.

Since 2002, there has been much speculation on the stance of the
Wounded Warrior Project and its policy on war. The truth of the matter
here is that we do not have a stance on war. The point of our
organization is the focus on our wounded warriors, not the wars in which
they have been fighting. By focusing on our veterans and not on the
political nuances of being pro or anti-war, we are able to accomplish our
overall goal of improving the lives of our wounded warriors. This has
allowed us to garner bipartisan support throughout Congress. A majority
of politicians support WWP and sees it as a worthy cause. The
organization is about helping our wounded veterans, not the economic
advantages of corporate greed, so the WWP operates as a nonprofit
organization. We use the surplus revenues to further achieve our purpose

or mission, rather than distributing the surplus income to the

organization's shareholders as profit or dividends. By operating as a
nonprofit organization, we make sure that all of our funds are going right
back into helping our wounded warriors in any way possible.
In our operating environment, we aim to reach out to other nonprofit
organizations that have similar goals to our own. Specifically, the WWP
helps fund organizations that focus on our main areas of concern: mind,
body, economic empowerment, and engagement. Through the grant
program, the WWP has funded 45 different organizations, totaling more
than $3 million in donations. One of the grant programs that we sponsor
honors and empowers the lives of post 9/11 veterans specifically by
helping to improve their mental and physical health. The Robinsons are

a family that has directly benefited from this program. In the 9/11
attacks Ms. Robinson lost both her husband and her son. The grant
program has helped her to pay off her bills as well as set up a
scholarship fund for her daughter Maria. The WWP has also worked
internationally with Battle Back, an organization in the United Kingdom
that helps veterans find enterprising rehabilitation programs.
The main external factors affecting the Wounded Warrior Project are
government affairs and policies. Through our engagement initiative, the
organization advocates and lobbies on Capitol Hill for the sole purpose
of bettering the lives of our veterans.
The social responsibility that comes out of working with the WWP is
very important for both individuals and organizations. From an

individual standpoint social responsibility can be defined as positively

affecting the environment and people outside of your immediate circle.
Obtaining individual social responsibility comes when you are involved
and knowledgeable in what is happening around you and trying to solve
some of the problems.
Many Wounded Warrior Project employees grew up in areas with high
military populations. They talk about the effects they saw that the
military can have on a service member and his family. Seeing the
experiences of those families made many employees and supporters of
the WWP want to contribute to the mission. They saw what was
happening around them, wanted to make a difference, and chose to
become involved in the Wounded Warrior Project.

With the growing number of socially responsible individuals,

organizations are having to catch up and meet the needs of their
customers. The Wounded Warrior Project as an organization is having to
offer more opportunities for individuals to get involved in our program
such as our Student Ambassador Program. We as an organization want to
show our supporters that passionate and dedicated to our mission and
want the public to be involved in the program as much as possible.
Two-thirds of adults have good intentions and believe that social
responsibility is important. However, they do not volunteer or support
any organizations. Young people have the ability to encourage the older
generations to become more involved in the community. High school
students have the opportunity to make a difference in the community just

as much as adults. Inspire those around you to also become a social

responsible citizen and join the mission to support wounded warriors!
It is easy for high school students to get involved in the Wounded
Warrior Project! You can help make a difference for service members
across the world by spreading the word at your high school. If your
school doesnt already have a chapter, the WWP can be started as a club
and earn your title of being a student ambassador.
The registration process for becoming a student ambassador is simple
and costs only $10. The registration page is online and more information
is also included in the brochure that I will be handing out at the end.
Once you are registered, a starter kit will be sent to you in the mail. This
kit includes tips to starting your fundraising campaign as well as

marketing materials such as bracelets, flyers, and stickers. Support

materials will also be given on a DVD and USB drive. The $10
registration fee will jumpstart your progress to making a mark in
spreading awareness for wounded warriors!
If becoming a student ambassador is not for you, or it is not possible to
start your own club there are still other ways to support the WWP at
your school. Creating a WWP campaign is a great way to educate people
about the program and excited to fundraise. Design a poster to put up
around school or host a booth at lunch where students can get more
information. These campaigns are often very effective around times such
as 9/11. It will get the student body emotionally involved and ready to
raise money for the wounded warriors.

Fundraising can also be done by a club or sports team you are already
affiliated with. Have a percentage night at a restaurant and donate that
money to the WWP instead of putting it back into the club or sports
budget. Fundraising for the WWP will bring the team closer together
when teammates all have a cause to stand for together.
Another way to get involved is to join the Proud Supporter Community
and register an event to be sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project.
Events such as a run, silent auction, sporting event, and benefit concerts
work well to gain support for the WWP. Just make sure to include a brief
description in the event information about the Wounded Warrior Project.
On our website there is a link for Proud Support Guidelines to see if
your event qualifies to be sponsored by the WWP.

As of today, the WWP serves over 100,000 warriors and family

members through 20 programs and services. As of the 2015 fiscal year,
over 45,000 warriors and family members have been served through the
health and wellness programs, over $160 million in benefits has been
secured for warriors and their families, and through new legislation
advocated for by the WWP, over $2 billion has been paid to the warriors
and their families. The WWP will continue to help wounded veterans
and hope that you help us help them. Now, let me ask you this: by a
show of hands, how many of you plan on joining the military after high
school?
(Wait for a response from audience and respond accordingly)

One day, hopefully not, but one day you may be in the same situation as
some of our wounded warriors and may need help.
(Fade out)
By simply spreading the word about the Wounded Warrior Project, you
are helping more than you know. So please, educate your friends and
family and share what you learned today. Thank you for your time and if
you have any questions, I will be available at the end to answer any
questions that you may have.
(Allow for applause and wait for final conclusion)