Hope for the Warriors: Helping Military Veterans Adjust to the Civilian Life

Military Resources: Hope for the Warriors

Hope for the Warriors is an organization that helps veterans and their families. When military men and women return home from combat, it can be difficult to acclimate back into civilian life. It's organizations like Hope for the Warriors that helps those that were wounded and even those that weren't, and gives them a sense of being, accomplishment, and hope.

What Is Hope for the Warriors?

Hope for the Warriors has been around since 2006. The organization was created because it was needed, and found its birth aboard a Marine Corps base camp.

The necessity was the fact that the effects of war are completely visible in the military personnel and their families. It's important to do what can be done to help those men and women that serve the country and risk their lives on a regular basis.

They don't just help warriors that return – they also help the families that are left behind when a warrior has fallen. What's even more amazing about this organization is that it is run by families of veterans and veterans themselves.

They employ staff, have directors, and they also have volunteers that work hard to make sure that veterans are treated fairly, and ensuring they are honored (in life and in death) as they should be.

1. Their Mission
The mission that Hope for the Warriors sets for to do is to give veterans a sense of family and a sense of self again. They do this through programs that help them transition back into civilian life, institute health and wellness plans, and allow them time with peers. It's an amazing task to help do all of these things for veterans that are in need, and they don't leave out their families, including spouses, parents, and children.

1. Their Mission

The mission that Hope for the Warriors sets for to do is to give veterans a sense of family and a sense of self again. They do this through programs that help them transition back into civilian life, institute health and wellness plans, and allow them time with peers. It's an amazing task to help do all of these things for veterans that are in need, and they don't leave out their families, including spouses, parents, and children.

2. Their Core Values
Hope for the Warriors works hard to understand the needs or service members. They work to stay in touch with those needs on a daily basis.

What Hope for the Warriors Has to Offer

Image from: Hope for the Warriors

There are so many different benefits offered to those that seek the help of Hope for the Warriors. They have programs of all kinds that instill hope and faith, pride and joy. Here's a look at some of the things this organization has to offer those that need them.

1. Transition Support Programs

Veterans need time and help when it comes to transitioning back into civilian life. As any veteran can attest to, civilian and military life are completely different than one another. It's coming for veterans to come home with PTSD, at a minimum, and these programs (all of the things you'll read about in the following text) are meant to help them and their families deal with these feelings and changes.

Here are the transitional support programs that are offered through Hope for the Warriors.

A Warrior's Wish – A Warrior’s Wish awards grants to those veterans that have been injured in combat and need assistance with recovery costs and cost of living. They also help with adaptive equipment, business tools, and they assist in keeping the family bonded and working together.
Above & Beyond – This is a program for career transition. They work on peer mentorship, and they help translate the veteran's skills into employable ones. They also assist spouses and caregivers in finding work and start businesses that use their skills.
Drive for Hope – This program helps veterans get networking time with NASCAR professionals, and they get to enjoy the races too.
Elite Meet – The Elite Meet helps members of Special Operations Forces transition back into the private sector. These are invite-only networking events that help them make connections that can change their lives.
Spouse and Caregiver Scholarships – This organization cares about the people that care about, and for, veterans. Through this program, they help caregivers and spouses get a continued education they can help build the family's financial future.

2. Health & Wellness Programs

Health and wellness are two separate things, but they work together for overall health – mind and body. Health care is about visiting your doctor for preventative care and going to them when you aren't feeling well. Wellness care is taking care of yourself at home – eating right and exercising.

Health and wellness are important topics for veterans, whether or not they were injured while on deployment. Hope for the Warriors offers many health and wellness programs.

Clinical Support Services – Hope For The Warriors offers short-term counseling to go along with other treatments veterans are undergoing. These services are offered by social workers that are licensed. Not only can the veterans themselves partake in this treatment, but so can adult family members and caregivers.
Critical Care Coordination – There is short-term financial help available for veterans that were injured after 9-11. The money is meant to help the veteran and their family cover financial needs while getting back into the swing of things.
Family Resiliency Services – This is a service that helps veterans with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injuries. They work to help families and the veterans themselves understand their illness, through education and caring.
Military & Veteran Caregiver Support Services – If you're the caregiver for an injured veteran, after 9-11, this service is meant to help you. Caregivers need care too, even if you're a spouse that works as the primary caregiver for your wounded veteran.

3. Recreation Programs

It's important for veterans, wounded or not, to participate in normal, everyday activities. They deserve to live a normal life, and these recreation programs help them do that.

Outdoor Adventures – Injured veterans that were avid outdoorsman before their injuries can find joy in their old passions through this program. These are recreational programs that allow hunters to hunt again and fisherman to toss a line in the water again.
Run for the Warriors – Run for the Warriors is a National Run Series that is dedicated to those that have been wounded in the war on terror. This run benefits those veterans and their families.
Team Hope for the Warriors – For veterans that enjoy sports, Team Hope for the Warriors allows athletes of any ability a chance to partake in endurance events and enjoy a competitive spirit.

4. Community Development

Community Development Events and Activities

Hope for the Warriors doesn't always do everything alone – they work with other military organizations, foundations, civic groups, and more than help with veteran education and allowing them to experience all the things that are out there.

This opens up events specials for veterans and their families, and it's where your time volunteering comes in.

Without community support, organizations like this one wouldn't be able to survive. It's through the help of corporations, civic leaders, school, families, and other military agency that Hope for the Warriors can pull together all of the things they offer to help veterans live better and more fulfilling lives.

Hope for the Warriors and their volunteers' host events that allow those people that support veterans and the organization unite with the military men and women they help through their efforts. Through these events, they raise funds while spreading awareness about the issues veterans face on home soil.

Volunteers are valued by Hope for the Warriors since they help ensure that there are people around to make sure that all of the events and programs work. They are the support line between the organization and the veterans that are in need.

How You Can Help

If you want to help veterans – volunteer. Organizations like Hope for the Warriors needs volunteers to help them keep going and do all of the amazing things that they do to help veterans and their families. Give your time – you don't even have to give them your money.

If you want to get involved with Hope for the Warriors, there are plenty of ways in which you can do this. You can race with Team Hop, or be a mentor on the Outdoors Adventure program if you're skilled in outdoors sports.

You can also help let the world know about Hope for the Warriors and all of the programs they offer by sharing their information with those in need and those that may be willing to volunteer. If you're a veteran, you can share your story with them.

Be the Change

Whether you're a veteran, a family member of a veteran, or someone that wants to help those that have served this country, you can be part of the change. Hope for the Warriors is there for the people that need them, but they can't help if you don't reach out to them.