Wounded Veterans Discover Amazing Aquatic Creatures

JENKS, Okla., April 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While fellowshipping with comrades and relatives at a venue with more than 100 exhibits and thousands of animals, a group of wounded veterans discovered aquatic creatures of all kinds at the Oklahoma Aquarium. The veterans had the aquarium all to themselves while engaging in hands-on experiences with stingrays, horseshoe crabs, starfish, and other sea creatures.

Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) hosted the event free of charge as part of its Alumni program. Events like this give wounded service members a chance to deepen their bonds with family and fellow warriors through camaraderie in relaxed environments.

For WWP, there is a distinct philosophy behind using the term Alumni – it indicates a mutual experience with other combat veterans; there are no membership fees or dues at WWP – those were paid on the battlefield.

"WWP has been extremely helpful with my recovery, and I've had the opportunity to meet other WWP Alumni and families through events like this one," said Adriana Lozano, WWP Alumna and Army veteran. "It's really great to have a support network like the one WWP provides; fellow members understand what I'm going through, whether it's a common struggle that veteran's face or my transition from military life, because they've been there too."

In addition to experiencing aquatic adventures, the Alumni and their families were served pizza while WWP Staff shared information about programs like Project Odyssey^®, Warriors to Work^®, and Benefits Service.

"For me, the highlight of the night was when WWP staff talked to us about benefits claims, filing appeals within the VA, and all the ways in which WWP can be of assistance to us – the information was very insightful," said Adriana. "It is a weight off my shoulders to have this level of support that WWP provides to veterans and their families."

Adriana also learned about the Warriors to Work program, one of 20 direct programs and services offered at no cost to the injured veterans, caregivers, and families the nonprofit serves. Through the Warriors to Work program, WWP Alumni access a wide variety of professional development and career guidance opportunities covering topics like resume creation, interview preparation, business etiquette, and networking skills. During the month of February 2016 alone, WWP served 5,367 wounded veterans through Economic Empowerment programs, which include Warriors to Work. To find out more about WWP's programs and services, please visit: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs.

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The WWP 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.

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SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project