Giving Back To Others Supports Wounded Service Members' Recovery Over The Holiday Season

HOUSTON, Jan. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Being able to give back during the holiday season is a positive experience for the Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) Peer Support groups, and several groups did just that over the recent holidays.

On Christmas Eve, a WWP Peer Support group in Houston gathered to give back by serving the homeless in their community. Over 200 lunches, 12 large bags of clothing, 30 pairs of shoes, and even more joy and well wishes were given from the support group and their families.

"The more the merrier" was the theme; students from two Houston area high schools, a car club, and staff from a local congresswoman's office also joined the group to assist with this growing tradition. The group also stopped by Star of Hope, a shelter for families, to visit and drop off remaining items for the children who live there.

Through WWP's Peer Support program, wounded service members and caregivers find encouragement and support through their shared experiences. Events like this support the relationship between group members. WWP Peer Support groups are facilitated by the members who are further along in the recovery process and have received training specifically designed to help them support their WWP peers along their road to recovery.

On any given week there are hundreds of Wounded Warrior Peer Support members from 20 Peer Support teams meeting across the country, in a variety of activities and service.

A WWP Peer Support group in Scarborough, Maine, gathered to sign over 150 cards and prepare holiday ornaments for residents of the Maine Veterans Home. During their visit, each veteran received a card, ornament, and most important, a personal thank you for their service from the service members with WWP Peer Support. The WWP Peer Support team also addressed cards to be given to those who were unable to visit.

Listening to the stories of veterans from earlier generations was a gift in itself for the Peer Support Team. It was especially an honor to visit with a WWII veteran who is preparing to turn 100 this year. The positive feedback has the Peer Support group already planning another veteran's home visit in February to serve more of their fellow veterans.

The goal of the WWP Peer Support program is for every warrior in need of support to eventually reach a point in their recovery where they can provide support to others, thus embodying the WWP logo of one warrior carrying another. By becoming a peer mentor, warriors who once were the warrior being carried have the opportunity to become the warrior who carries others.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about WWP Peer Support groups, please contact the WWP Resource Center at resourcecenter@woundedwarriorproject.org or 888.WWP.ALUM (997.2586).

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160114/322403
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160114/322404

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project