Charity Navigator: Four-Star Rating

We did it again!  For a second year, Hope For The Warriors® has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator.  Charity Navigator is a nonprofit organization that evaluates nonprofit organizations and rates them on fiscal responsibility and accountability. 

We are proud of this Four-Star Rating and for good reason.  Only 17% of all charities receive a Four-Star Rating two years in a row.

Please read their rating of our organization and read some of the reviews posted by families we have helped, volunteers that have worked with us, and more.  Share the reviews with your family and friends.  We are proud of the work we have accomplished.  As supporters of our organization, we hope that you are proud of that work too.

Read the complete review

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Ideas to Make the Big Game even Bigger

There will be a winner and a loser.  Millions will watch and pounds of food will be eaten.  Yes, this Sunday is the "Big Game."

Want to make the game both fun and meaningful?  Why not ask your party guests or fellow party goers to join you in supporting Hope For The Warriors®? 

Here is the idea:

Each time either team scores, everyone throws a dollar in a hat.  At the end of the game, donate the money to Hope For The Warriors® and help us restore hope to the real heroes.

Want to make it more interesting?  Here are some ideas to add on:

• $1 for every official review
• $1 for an interception
• $5 if your team sacks the quarterback
• $5 if an interception leads to a touchdown for your team

And don't forget the half time show:

• $1 for each costume change from Beyonce
• $5 for each time the announcers mention the half time show from Janet Jackson

You get the idea....

Hope For The Warriors® thanks everyone for their continued support.  You know who the real heroes are in this country.  They are the reason we can safely enjoy these games.

Whether you are a Ravens or 49ers fan, have a great day.  Go Warriors!

Together Again: Outdoor Adventures

Four men deployed to Afghanistan together. 

Remote base located in the mountains of Afghanistan

As with most combat deployments, these men formed close bonds that will last a lifetime.

Hope For The Warriors® recently organized a hunting trip for these four men so they were able to reunite for a weekend in the great outdoors.  The weekend was successful in many ways.  First, each returned home with a buck.  But more importantly, they reconnected with the men that they depended on for so long while deployed and so far from home.

We were also glad to keep these men close to home.  The hunt took place on private property in Mississippi, home for three of these men.  They had been far from home long enough.

 

 

Two of the men shared:

 

"What an incredible experience! I would never be able to experience a hunting trip like that on my own, and getting to reunite with my deployment Army buddies made it that much more special.  Thank you Hope For The Warriors®!"

 

"Never in my 27 years of the military have I ever received such a gift.  It was truly a hunt of a lifetime."

 

Warriors with Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland of Mossy Oak

Hope For The Warriors® thanks Mossy Oak and Greif, Inc. for hosting the warriors.  Without their help, this hunt would not have been possible.

 



Band of Brothers

In 2001, HBO® aired the miniseries Band of Brothers—the story of Easy Company of the US Army 101^st Airborne division and their mission during World War II.  The series showed the strength of ordinary men as they banned together in combat.  It was loved by viewers and critics alike. 

Combat makes for strong and lasting friendships still today.  There is a shared history, a common goal, and an understanding among those who have been in combat together.  Even those who do not serve together will connect—by branch, military base, and by command.

Hope For The Warriors® is fortunate to welcome Bill Nelson to our Board of Directors; Bill had previously sat on our Advisory Council.  At the end of 2012, Bill retired as chairman and CEO of HBO®.  Many years before Bill led HBO®, he was in the Army and in Vietnam.  During his time, he was in the 101^st Airborne.

Bill in Vietnam

As Bill approached his retirement, staff members at HBO® agreed that the best way to honor his years of dedication to the company was by donating to a cause that he believed in—one that supported wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.  As Bill said goodbye to HBO®, the staff and the company made a donation to Hope For The Warriors® in his honor.

It is funny how connections are made.  The funds were donated for two programs—Spouse/Caregiver Scholarships and A Warrior’s Wish®.  We had one pending 2012 Wish that we did not have the budget to grant.  The soldier, Cory, submitted a Wish request for an ATV.  In combat, an IED exploded a few feet away from him.  The explosion had broken his pelvis, back, and left arm.  His left leg has been amputated above the knee and he struggles with traumatic brain injury and PTSD.

But what caught our attention was one particular line in his essay. 

“After almost nine years of service, I got the call to go to Iraq.  I had no problem with this because this was my job; this is what I signed up for.  I was ready, and I was going with the greatest unit in the world, the 101^st Airborne out of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.”

Admittedly, it doesn’t take much to get the Hope For The Warriors® staff excited.  But this connection, with both men serving the 101^st Airborne, was more than we could have imagined.  We were excited to share the news with HBO® and Bill. 

Cory picks up the ATV

Granting this Wish will give Cory greater mobility outdoors.  He is a self-proclaimed outdoorsman who learned to hunt and fish at an early age.  He caught his first fish at the age of five.

But granting this Wish has given Cory more than just increased mobility.  It also gives Cory the ability to build a relationship with his children.  Time in the Army is generally time away from family; Cory wants to make up for that time.

“I have a second chance at life and a second chance with my family.  I do not want to waste it because I do not feel comfortable leaving the house.  I am young and otherwise in good health and want the opportunity to teach my children my love of nature and the outdoors. “

A Wish that was granted as a wonderful bond between “brothers”—one veteran helping another—will lead to a wonderful family bond.

The Family enjoys the new ATV

Thank you to Bill for his dedication to fellow veterans and to HBO® for their continued support and generosity.  Hope For The Warriors® was proud to grant this Wish and help this hero from the 101^st Airborne.

Thank you also to Kevin Powell Motorsports in Greensboro for their help in granting this Wish.

Above & Beyond Volunteer Feedback

Last week, the Above & Beyond Seminar was highlighted in a blog posting, recapping our visit to Twentynine Palms, California.  Hope For The Warriors® will host several Above & Beyond Seminars throughout 2013.  These seminars provide guidance to wounded service members pursuing reintegration into the civilian sector. 

One of our volunteers was both a Human Resources professional and the wife of a service member. Her experience in both areas gave her additional insight into the challenges faced by service members as they plan their transition. 

She shares:

“I greatly enjoyed my volunteer time with these heroes and hope that I was able to contribute something that will benefit them as they transition into civilian life.  The talent and experience that Hope For The Warriors® was able to bring together in this four-day seminar has definitely paved the path for success for its participants.  I was proud to be a part of it and would love to again the next time this event is brought locally.”

To read more about the seminar, read the entire blog posting or visit our website.  If you are interested in volunteering with this program, please e-mail Connie Morinello.

Team Blog: Testimonial

Did you know that Team Hope For The Warriors® has its own blog?  The blog does a great job getting the word out to Team member with upcoming races, training tips, fundraising ideas and more. If you are on the Team, might want to be on the Team or just enjoy running, head over to that blog for information and inspiration.

Yesterday's post was especially inspiring.  A wounded veteran shared a personal testimonial of how Team Hope For The Warriors® helped him when he was first wounded and was depressed about his future.  It is a wonderful, personal account of how Hope For The Warriors® helps service members from the very beginning.

This particular service member has a severely wounded hand, but his injuries have not stopped him from the physical activities that he loves.  The best sentence of his testimonial was the last sentence:

"No longer am I concerned with the challenges that come along with not having two fully functional hands because I know if I ever need one, Hope For The Warriors® will be there to lend me one."

Read more here.

John at the Warrior Games last year

Above & Beyond Program: 29 Palms Edition

An executive from Lockheed Martin discusses job opportunities with the group

The Above & Beyond Program provides guidance to wounded service members pursuing reintegration into the civilian sector. The objective is to explore "next step" options for those interested in a civilian or military career, higher education/advanced training, or a small business startup.

Mayfield College in Twentynine Palms, California invited Hope For The Warriors® to host an Above & Beyond Seminar.  With their overwhelming support and donation of space, our team was able to host 14 service members and two spouses for the four-day seminar. 

The seminar included group presentations, group workshops, and one-on-one coaching.  Participants built their resume and honed their interview skills.  Presenters came from top corporations, government agencies, and more. 

Volunteers work one-on-one with participants

To build a team of presenters and volunteers, Hope For The Warriors® reached out to the community of supporters that we have developed in southern California.  Twentynine Palms is located in the middle of the Mojave Desert.  It is the home of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and Joshua Tree National Park.  Although there are thousands of military families located in the area, there are not as many corporate headquarters in the near vicinity.  Due to the location, many of our presenters traveled three hours to give a 30-minute presentation.

Each presented was happy to do this drive.  The Above & Beyond Program would not have been successful had it not been for these dedicated volunteers.  Hope For The Warriors® is thankful for each person's efforts in making the seminar a success.

Staff Member, MSgt Brian Schiller, USMC (Ret.), presents to the group

The Above & Beyond Program and Hope For The Warriors® is working closely with the Wounded Warrior Battalion West by holding seminars at each of their Wounded Warrior Battalions.  We will host our next seminar in March in Hawaii followed by Camp Pendleton in June and Balboa (San Diego) in September.  If you are a wounded service member stationed in those areas or if you live in those areas and are interested in volunteering, please contact Connie Morinello for more information.

Although remote, 29Palms provided staff with some scenic views