Wounded Warrior Project Leading the Charge in Veterans Service

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since inception, Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) has taken a leading role in advancing the sector of veterans services. Beyond providing more than 20 free programs and services to wounded service members, caregivers and family members, the organization has an unrivaled track record in partnering with and supporting organizations that offer services beyond WWP's scope of programming. 

The need for collaboration has never been greater. With the number of wounded veterans facing physical and mental injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increasing along with the number of benefits claims by veterans, serving our wounded heroes is an issue that requires the attention of more than one organization.

WWP's investments have been significant and impactful. From 2012 to 2015, WWP has funded 93 unique organizations through 110 grants totaling $10,937,193. These grants have now benefitted more than 14,000 wounded veterans and 3,000 family members through a WWP-funded program or service. 

In fiscal year 2015 alone, WWP awarded 12 grants to veterans organizations focused on a breadth of issues—from physical wellness, obesity and sleep issues to long-term care and unemployment. The grantees include:

• Catch a Lift Fund
• Shepherd Center Foundation
• Rocking Mountain Human Services
• Northeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership
• Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council
• Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia
• Yellow Ribbon Fund
• Colorado State University Foundation
• David Lynch Foundation

In an effort to further enhance the services available to wounded veterans and their families, and in the spirit of collaboration, Wounded Warrior Project is investing in longer-term partnerships that will not only transform warrior lives, but also strengthen the veteran service community. Investments include a $15 million partnership with America's Warrior Partnerships and its city-wide initiatives in regions such as Buffalo, NY and Orange County, CA. WWP will soon announce a series of $9-million, five-year commitments with some of the most dynamic veteran service organizations working to reshape America through the continued service of veterans. 

Warrior Care Network™ is a first-of-its-kind partnership between WWP and four national academic medical centers of excellence: Emory Healthcare, Massachusetts General Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and UCLA Health. In cooperation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, this program will connect thousands of warriors with partner hospitals for evaluation, treatment options and world-class care. Warrior Care Network is a $100 million commitment to battle the invisible wounds of war by expanding the continuum of care for veterans and reaching those who might otherwise go untreated.

WWP also recently built a new $4 million initiative to help warriors move from financial crisis to financial resilience with five of the leading financial assistance agencies in the veteran community. 

"To truly impact a generation of warriors, it takes the collaboration and commitment of many organizations to meet the unique needs of wounded veterans and their families," says Ned Breslin, Partnerships and Programmatic Investments EVP for WWP. "Wounded Warrior Project is uniquely positioned to strategically and proactively address the biggest trends and issues facing this generation of injured veterans, by coordinating efforts to help ensure they are the most successful and well-adjusted in our nation's history."

WWP's grants and financial support, along with the organization's massive direct support to wounded service members, caregivers and their family members through its 20 free programs and services, not only help close prominent gaps in service, but ensure that the public's money is being used to finance the most impactful programs in meaningful ways.

Together, with these unique and highly specialized services, WWP is leading the charge to strengthen resources available to injured veterans and their families for the long-term.

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.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project