Wounded Warrior Project Announces Third Round of Grant Recipients
Jacksonville, Fla. (May 2, 2013) – Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors, today announced $846,000 in grants to organizations also serving injured service members of this generation and their families. Since its inception in 2012, the WWP grant program has funded 45 different organizations, totaling more than $3 million.
"As the WWP grant program enters its second year, we are very proud to help support such a broad spectrum of organizations that are working to meet the needs of injured service members," said Steven Nardizzi, executive director, WWP. "It takes the collective effort and commitment from many organizations to help ensure this generation of injured veterans is the most successful and well adjusted in our nation's history."
In this third round of grants, WWP requested applications from organizations that seek to enhance the lives of post 9/11 wounded veterans through programmatic activities aimed at improving mental health and wellness, exposing warriors to new opportunities for physical fitness and activity, connecting wounded veterans with their peers, and enhancing economic empowerment and independence among wounded veterans – all in an effort to help foster healthy readjustment to civilian life. Interested organizations completed a letter of interest and were subsequently invited to submit a full application and those receiving funds were carefully vetted and chosen based on shared mission, core values, and focus in WWP’s four core program areas: mind, body, economic empowerment, and engagement.
"WWP's 18 programs and services provide much needed support for injured service members, offering a strong foundation for their recovery. There are many great organizations that provide unique and highly specialized services that we want to help make more widely available," Nardizzi said. "Many of these groups have limited funding and offer important specialized services while others provide programs to underserved areas of the country."
It is estimated over 50,000 servicemen and women have been physically injured in recent military conflicts, another 320,000 have experienced a traumatic brain injury while on deployment, and as many as 400,000 additional service members live with the invisible wounds of war including combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.