The First Hope For The Warriors Caregiver Workshop

Hope For The Warriors®, Clinical Health & Wellness team held the first Military Caregivers Workshop on Tuesday, March 3 in Lorton, VA. The purpose of the workshop was to focus on the needs of those who tirelessly care for our wounded service members and veterans.

Important Facts
Researchers are finding that Caregivers have a greater risk for psychological and physical health problems (Vitaliano, Zhang & Scanlan, 2003; Bride & Figley, 2009). This risk has been attributed to the high levels of emotional stress that Caregivers experience, their lack of participation in self-care activities and their feelings of social isolation (Vitaliano, Zhang & Scalan, 2003; NAC 2010; Tanielian et al., 2013).  Hope For The Warriors recognizes the great risks to our Military/Veteran Caregivers and have created Military and Veteran Caregiver Workshops to bridge the gap in care for Caregivers. They are spreading hope, resources, education and healing.

Crumbling Walls Of Isolation 
The caregivers arrived in the morning and we began the day with share time. Dana Thompson (Regional Social Worker for Hope For The Warriors®) asked the Caregivers to introduce themselves. The Caregivers shared their stories with one another, discovering they were not alone. In fact, others did understand and were going through some of the same challenges. The walls of isolations crumbled very quickly among the group.

The Lonely Caregiver
One particular Caregiver, the wife of a military veteran, was especially shy and hesitant to open up to the others at first. This was probably the first opportunity she had to speak with other caregivers. She is young and looked a little lost. Alone, and afraid of the unknowns. She had dark circles under her eyes. She was physically worn out and more than likely, emotionally worn out as well.

Getting To Know Ourselves
As the day progressed, the Caregivers participated in a short meditation session before beginning Art Therapy and proceeded to tackle a Theater Experiential project, which entailed writing letters to ourselves.  We wrote about our challenges, and ways to overcome those challenges. We thought about how to focus on ourselves and not to forget that we are individuals with dreams and aspirations and that even though we are Caregivers, we can still have dreams, individual goals, and accomplishments.



Nourishment For The Body And Soul 
We all ate lunch together and ended the day with a relaxing yoga routine. We exchanged phone numbers and contact information with one another. Every one of us established new friendships, hope and take home projects that would allow us to continue to break through the cocoons we have been trapped in, slowly breaking free, turning into beautiful butterflies.

Breaking Free
As for the Caregiver I spoke of at the beginning of this blog... her dark circles began disappearing throughout the workshop, she smiled, she laughed, she shared and most of all, she discovered that she is not alone. If you are a Caregiver, and you would like to meet other Caregivers from the comfort of your own home, please be sure to join our online, closed/secret Facebook Group. To learn how to join our Hope For The Warriors® Military and Veteran Support Group, CLICK HERE.



Thank you, Hope For The Warriors® for supporting our Military and Veteran Caregivers. You've given us wings to fly.

Much Love,
Patti Katter

Celebrating 4 Stars, 4 Years, For HOPE

At Hope For The Warriors®, we pride ourselves on our fiscal responsibility. This commitment is one of the ways that we honor our military families. And we are pleased to report that our hard work has paid off!

For the fourth year in a row, Hope For The Warriors® has received a four-star rating on Charity Navigator. This exceptional rating, achieved by only 8% of the nonprofits they evaluate, highlights our financial responsibility to the service members, military families, and families of the fallen we support. We invite you to view their latest evaluation of our efforts on the Charity Navigator website!

The Hope For The Warriors® Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers work tirelessly to serve those who have sacrificed so much. However, we know that we could not have achieved this top rating without your continued support to our organization, our staff, and to our military families. On their behalf, we thank you!

As we celebrate this honor, we ask that you do two things:

1. Please share this great news and introduce Hope For The Warriors® to someone new. 

2. Please consider a donation to support programs that directly impact our heroes or consider a recurring monthly donation to support military families throughout the year. Your contribution can make the difference in the lives of our service members and military families.  

As always, thank you for joining in our mission to restore self, family, and HOPE.

Running, a Mitzvah, and HOPE

Aiden (middle) with his friends at the Inaugural DMV Run For The Warriors

When twelve year old Aiden Dorf signed up for the 2014 DMV Run For The Warriors® he planned to do more than just show up and run a race. He decided that he would give back further to the military community.

Aiden, an avid and successful runner, first found Hope For The Warriors® as he was searching online for local races. Once he researched the organization more he liked the fact that Hope For The Warriors® focuses on restoring the entire military family and decided he wanted to help. Aiden knew his upcoming Bar Mitzvah would be the perfect opportunity to combine his passions of running and helping others.  

For those unfamiliar with Jewish culture, when a boy turns thirteen he becomes a Bar Mitzvah, or in Hebrew, “son of commandment,” which means he is now viewed as a man and responsible for his own faith. The religious ceremony and celebration that follow are called Bar Mitzvah as well. As part of the Bar Mitzvah, a boy completes a Mitzvah, or a good deed.  

For his Mitzvah, Aiden chose to create a fundraising team for the Inaugural DMV Run For The Warriors®. Aiden’s team consisted of around 20 members, which included his friends and family, and raised about $2,000 for Hope For The Warriors®! Aiden’s team was a huge part of the success of the Inaugural DMV Run For The Warriors®. His story shows how someone can use his or her passions to give back and make an impact at any age!

Aiden's Team at the Inaugural DMV Run For The Warriors

“I love that [Hope For The Warriors®] helps not only wounded and fallen veterans, like other organizations, but [Hope For The Warriors®] also helps their families,” said Aiden. “It was great to be a part of the inaugural race this past year and I can't wait to continue racing.”

Want to follow Aiden’s example and give back to service members and their families? Register for any Run For The Warriors® race; you can create or join a fundraising team or you can set-up your own individual fundraising page. For any questions contact: runinfo@hopeforthewarriors.org.

Find us on social media: 

Hope For The Warriors® Facebook

Twitter When you tweet be sure to use #RunForTheWarriors

10 Ways to Commemorate the 10th Annual Run For The Warriors®

Robin Kelleher & Paul Kelly

2015 marks a special 10 year anniversary for Run For The Warriors® in Jacksonville, NC; 10 years of restoring HOPE to service members and celebrating the strength and resolve of our military families. I have personally attended every one of those Run For The Warriors® events in Jacksonville and I am excited to celebrate the 10^th race with each of you.

Register for the 10^th Annual Run and complete some items on the list below to further commemorate a decade of Run For The Warriors®.

1. Thank 10 military family members for supporting their service member.
2. Reflect on 10 freedoms you enjoy, thanks to the sacrifices of service members and military families, and share them with us. 
3. Invite 10 friends or family members to donate.
4. Invite 10 friends or family members to the race with you.
5. Run 10 miles, or break it up by running 1 mile for 10 days, in honor of service members and military families, send us a picture of yourself at mile 10.
6. Ask a local military caregiver how you can best allow them to take some time for themselves.
7. Find one of your old Run For The Warriors® race shirts. Wear during your training or on race morning.
8. Post 10 times on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) about the race, use #RunForTheWarriors
9. Create an individual fundraising page! Then invite me to be the first to donate to your page! Send an e-mail to robin.kelleher@hopeforthewarriors.org and I will donate $10 to the fundraising efforts of the first 50 people that ask. You will also receive a donation from Paul and Sally Kelly, local advocates.
10. Donate $10 to your own fundraising page.

Let us know how you are commemorating a decade of Run For The Warriors® on our Facebook Event Page.

I am excited to celebrate 10 years of Run For The Warriors® with you and the Jacksonville community!

Very Sincerely,

Robin Kelleher
President of Hope For The Warriors®

A Thank You to Our Amazing Supporter, Doug Flynn

Hope For The Warriors® would like to thank our incredible supporter, Doug Flynn, for his years of encouragement, commitment, and advocacy to our organization. 

Doug has raised impressive funds for Hope For The Warriors® over the years, but perhaps most importantly, he has always made himself available to lend his voice to our mission and raise awareness to the needs of today’s military family.

He has hosted Scarlet & Gold Invitational for several years, brought an ill veteran to hang out at the Cincinnati Reds Fantasy Camp, serves on the Celebrity Action Committee, continuously participates at beneficiary events, speaking engagements, recruits supporters, promotes us on his radio show and social media, where he created the #StandWithAVet movement…and the list goes on!

 

Johnny Bench (Left) and Doug Flynn (Right)

Thank you, Doug! We’re proud to have you as a partner and look forward to a future of joining forces together for our military families!

Please join Doug in his #StandWithAVet campaign and visit the River Landing website for more information about this year's Scarlet & Gold Invitational.

Military & Veteran Caregiver Wellness Workshop

Join Hope For The Warriors® this Tuesday, March 3, in Lorton, VA for the Military & Veteran Caregiver Wellness Workshop. Check out the above flyer for more info on the one-day workshop and register today!

We have begun coordinating the development of new caregiver support services at Hope For The Warriors®. We feel that it is essential that we devote more attention to the caregivers because of the negative impact their caregiving role can have on their physical health and psychological well-being. We are well aware that the physical and psychological problems that military caregivers experience can greatly impact the care of the wounded warrior and the family's overall stability.

We hope to host 15-20 military caregivers for this wellness day focusing on self-care beyond respite opportunities. We have a tremendous clinical staff at Hope For The Warriors® who can provide specialty programming in art therapy, applied theatre, yoga therapy, supportive counseling, and caregiver/peer mentorship. We are excited to bring a wellness approach to this crucial population in support of the recovering warrior and his/her family. We will be performing assessments to make sure that the workshops are effective in increasing a caregiver's self-care activities and decreasing their feelings of social isolation. We are hoping to rollout these workshops in other regions of the United States as well.

Going Above & Beyond to Support Career Transitioning Veterans

On February 12-13, 2015, the Hope For The Warriors® Career Transition & Education (CT&E) team attended a conference in Dulles, VA and hosted a resume preparation/writing event. The hiring expo was hosted by the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce and its GovCONnections Committee. Service members and veterans met with potential employers, and CT&E had the opportunity to consult with service members and exhibiters before, during, and after the event. CT&E provided one-on-one training and advice to service members while gaining valuable information from exhibitors.

The mission of the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce Hiring Expo is to help to maintain a crucial and mutually beneficial relationship between the veteran/military community, veteran owned businesses and their families to the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce community and its members.

The GovCONnections Advisory Board of the Dulles Chamber of Commerce – which includes CACI, General Dynamics IT, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon IIS – designed the Teaming, Training and Transitioning (T3) program to connect government contractors, commercial business employers and other supporting resources in the Dulles and surrounding areas with veterans and current military who have sacrificed so much for our country.

This expo allowed Hope For The Warriors® to bridge the gap of understanding between employers and veterans so that the two groups could better understand each other. This proactivity is all part of the transition process for returning veterans and companies looking to hire them.

In one-on-one and group sessions with service members and exhibitors, the need to successfully communicate service related skills to the civilian job market was the major topic of conversation. Many recruiters lamented that the resumes of transitioning service members were lacking civilian keywords. Service members echoed this frustration, stating that the transition teams in their respective services did not adequately equip them to write meaningful resumes. Likewise, many service members complained about not having interview skills.

To address these frustrations for transitioning veterans, CT&E is leading the way to continue the dialogue with professional partners about current and best practices regarding resume writing and interview skills, focusing on civilian expectations. 

Hope For The Warriors® staff members Jon Giuffre, Brian Schiller, and Matt Baffoe worked closely with retired service member Sebastian, whose efforts were rewarded with an interview with NJVC, an IT company in Virginia.

CT&E laid the groundwork for new relationships with exhibitors, renewed existing relationships, and recruited new service members to participate in all that Hope For The Warriors® has to offer.