New Logo, Sharper Focus

Hope For The Warriors® was founded in 2006 by a group of military wives.  These women witnessed firsthand the impact of the wars on service members and their families.  Our “vintage” logo represented the wounded service member and our desire to support that warrior.

From day one, our organization has also addressed the needs of the entire family.  Family includes not only spouses and children but also parents and siblings.   That is the first reason that we are excited to reveal our new logo. 

Our organization, staff and programs remain dedicated to each service member and family member that we assist.   Our new logo does not change who we are, rather, it better reflects our commitment to the entire family, restoring their sense of self, restoring the family unit and restoring hope.   

Hope For The Warriors® also recognizes that regardless of when the war ends, our combat veterans will continue to need our support.  Many of our wounded were never carried off of the battlefield.  They completed their deployment and came home.  Their wounds were not noticed until they attempted to transition back into a civilian community.  Our new logo better reflects the span of wounds—both visible and hidden.

We will also roll out a new website as we approach summer.  Be sure to visit www.hopeforthewarriors.org for a new look and an improved layout, making it easier to navigate programs and events.

We hope that you share our excitement as we continue to meet the shifting challenges of our military families.  We are proud of the work that has been accomplished in the last six years and we are ready to meet new challenges head on.

The Therapeutic Game of Golf

Golf Pro Kim Hall begins a round of golf with our guys

Last week, four wounded service members and two staff members from Hope For The Warriors® attended the Mobile Bay LPGA Golf Classic Tournament in Mobile, AL.  Two of the men played golf before their injuries and returned to the game that they always loved.  The other two learned the game post-injury and found enjoyment and therapy in the game.

The warriors and their families were flown to Mobile as part of our Hope & Morale Program.  The program is one way that we restore hope in our military families as they recover.

Events began on Tuesday when the guys were introduced to two of the professionals--Wendy Ward, daughter of a retired Army officer and Kim Hall, spouse of an active duty Air Force pilot.  The group of 6 played the 18th hole together, swapping both golf and military stories.

Our wounded heroes with Kim Hall and Wendy Ward

On Wednesday, the four men joined Kim Hall, LPGA Professional, in the Pro-Am event.  This pairing was even more special because Kim's husband Casey is active duty in the Air Force and was her caddy for this week's tournament.

Casey Hall, active duty Air Force, acts as caddy for his wife

Our four warriors were each unique--different backgrounds, branches of service, and different wounds.  However, each talked about how the game of golf was part of their rehabilitation.  One veteran, attending with his family, shared that he grew up playing golf with his grandfather.  His trip to Mobile was a much needed form of respite for him and his family as they continue to struggle with the impact of combat on their lives.

Two of our warriors shared that they had never played golf until after they were injured.  Their injuries forced them to embrace new hobbies and new sports.  Both love the game of golf and play whenever possible.

A huge thank you to the LPGA, the management of The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and 55 Water--the tournament sponsors.  Finally, thank you to Kim and Casey Hall, Wendy Ward and each individual on and off the golf course that gave our warriors a great week in Mobile.  It was a fun and inspiring event and each of our warriors had a great week!

Friday's Photo

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Country singer, Kellie Pickler, with Sean and Rusty



Providing Accredited College Programs for Returning Veterans

By June Olsen, Accredited Online Colleges

Veterans who return to civilian life often have a difficult transition; after serving in the military and adjusting to rigorous discipline and structure, it can be overwhelming to return home only to find that life isn’t the same as when they left. Often, this can lead to depression or feelings of aimlessness, particularly if the returning veteran finds him- or herself unemployed, an outcome that is becoming more common in the United States’ current poor economy.

Fortunately, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides health care, counseling, and for returning veterans. Additionally, Veterans Affairs provides programs to help returning veterans transition to civilian life. Injured veterans have access to the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, while all veterans have access to the GI Bill, which provides funding for returning veterans to go to their choice of colleges online or on a physical campus.

The advantages of going to college within a few years of returning from service are several: first, in an economy where many U.S. citizens don’t have a job, the problem of joblessness is particularly acute for those without a college education. Therefore, getting a degree can help make finding later work that much easier. Second, for veterans who feel they lack structure in their life, taking courses can provide some structure and direction (albeit not nearly at the level found in the military). And, third, adjusting to civilian life means re-adjusting to a social life. A campus environment can help veterans do this.

Therefore, many veterans choose to avail themselves of the GI Bill, which provides up to one hundred percent tuition reimbursement for veterans attending college. The program is fairly straightforward: any qualifying veteran who applies to a qualified program will get reimbursed for most (or all) of his or her college expenses. Simply visit the Veterans Affairs website on the GI Bill to see what programs qualify and for how much you qualify.

When considering programs, there are some important things to keep in mind: in-state programs are reimbursed to their full cost (up to the percentage of reimbursement for which the veteran is eligible), while private or out-of-state programs have a reimbursement cap at $17,500 per year. A final consideration is for veterans to carefully plan their college tenures; the GI Bill will only cover four years of schooling, so any additional education veterans take on must be covered by their own funds.

In sum, transition to civilian life is important, as is choosing a college or educational program that allows for personal and career growth. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to work with career counselors or for a veteran to otherwise seriously consider what he or she wants to do with his or her post-military life before he or she makes use of the opportunity to attend college.

June recently graduated with a degree in educational psychology. She currently works as a writer on all things education and is always interested in connecting with bloggers online.

Friday's Photo

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Ronnie Simpson provides a lesson in sailing to a wounded service member.
Read more.

Immediate Needs: Support During Difficult Times

In February, in a blog posting about our Immediate Needs Program, I wrote:  "...it is difficult to capture this program in a picture.  How do you show a caregiver getting help at bedside, the lights being kept on, a family staying in their home, or food on the table?"
We have completed the first quarter of 2012 and the the dollars spent within this program have been tallied.  The chart above is exactly the picture that some of us need to understand the work that is involved.

In the first three months, Hope For The Warriors® provided more than $112,000 in assistance to wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.  The reasons vary--whether to support a combat wounded service member at bedside or along the road to recovery, our families are making sacrifices to support their wounded service member.  The challenges continue as service members retire and transition to the civilian community and learn to navigate new services and employment.

Nothing on this chart is frivolous.  Each of the segments represent a basic need that was met for our military family during a difficult period in their life.  A roof over their heads, the lights left on or food on the table.  (The miscellaneous category includes moving expenses for three separate families.)

When a family is assisted through Immediate Needs, we recognize that the support given is a quick fix. From here, our goal is to help the family find more permanent solutions.  This could be through one of our other programs or by referring that family to other available services. 

Our Immediate Needs Program often supports our military families during their most difficult moments.  Thank you to all that support Hope For The Warriors® and allow us to provide support during those times.

The Lucky One: Movie Premiere

The latest movie based on a bestselling novel from Nicholas Sparks will premiere Friday, April 20.  The movie, The Lucky One, stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling and Blythe Danner.

A Marine Corps Sergeant, played by Efron, returns from his third Iraq deployment.  He believes that he is alive due to a photograph of a woman that he has never met.  Determined to meet his "lucky charm," he learns her name and where she lives and shows up at her door.  By taking a job working for her family's business, he is able to spend more time with her.  Through their time together, a romance begins.  Sparks is a master storyteller and will no doubt require movie-goers to bring their tissues. (Past movies include A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, The Last Song and Dear John.)

This beautiful story takes place in North Carolina, home to Nicholas Sparks and to Hope For The Warriors®.  For this movie, the Nicholas Sparks Foundation is hosting a Celebrity Family Weekend.  The weekend includes a Family Fun Night on Friday, including the movie's premiere in New Bern.  Saturday will be a golf tournament and Sunday will begin with a 5K race.  If you live in the area, please come out for one or more events.  (Event Website.)

Authors often create stories that swirl around love and war.  Perhaps it is the appeal of a man in uniform, the inevitable heartbreak of war or something less complicated.  Afterall, it is easy to acknowledge that war will pull at couples today--and often pull them apart, even if just temporarily.  Our military is filled with stories that are romantic, exhilarating, joyous, surprising, agonizing and yes, tragic. 

Several wounded service members and military families are invited guests to the movie premiere and will also attend the golf tournament and 5K race.  Their stories might not be made into a movie, but they are just as inspiring.  These families have served together, sacrificed together and in spite of their challenges, they have stayed together. 

Hope For The Warriors® is excited to be a beneficiary of the Nicholas Sparks Foundation along with two other worthy nonprofits.  We thank the foundation for recognizing the challenges and the needs of our military families both in North Carolina and throughout the country.

See you at the movies!