Empowering Veterans for a Lifetime: Wounded Warrior Project’s 2024 Community Partner Convening, Delivered by CSX

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) recently hosted its 2024 Community Partner Convening, delivered by CSX. Over 80 leading military and veterans service organizations united under the theme, Empowering Veterans for a Lifetime. 

WWP™ recognizes that no organization can meet all the needs of the military and veteran community alone. WWP creates a network of innovative support for the veteran community through its community partnerships program. WWP also brings together experts to help support wounded, injured, or ill veterans, families, and caregivers at every stage of their healing journey.    

“Every day, wounded warriors are finding new hope and purpose after military service, and we have the privilege of honoring their service and empowering them to achieve their goals today and for a lifetime,” shared WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Walt Piatt. “Our 2024 Community Partner Convening brought together a community of military and veteran services organizations united in this cause. We explored the needs of warriors, families, and caregivers throughout their respective journeys, whether that’s preparing for transition out of military service, healing from physical or emotional trauma, finding employment, or anticipating long-term care. I am humbled by the incredible network of support our partners provide to those who served and their families. Together, we are a passionate and powerful force for change in the military and veteran community.” 

Learn more about WWP’s Community Partnerships.

The 2024 Community Partner Convening featured three main panel sessions and four TEDx-style presentations with solutioning breakout sessions to brainstorm actionable ideas addressing the topics discussed. The day started with a main panel session focused on enhancing veterans' quality of life now and beyond, a leading priority for WWP. The conversation covered predictive factors affecting service members' and veterans' quality of life and how these may change over time.  

The first TEDx-style presentation focused on engagement strategies for isolated warriors. This panel discussion underlined the importance of connection and peer support, addressing organizations' challenges in engaging isolated veterans. According to WWP’s latest Warrior Survey*, 78% of warriors reported feeling isolated, 71% lack companionship, and 73% feel left out - stark contrasts to the camaraderie experienced during military service. WWP community partners Gold Star Peak, Boulder Crest Foundation, and Vets4Warriors joined the conversation, emphasizing trust-building strategies and showcasing programming designed to reconnect vulnerable veterans with their communities. 

The second presentation by the Military Family Advisory Network, a community partner of WWP since 2018, focused on the financial well-being of transitioning service members and their families. MFAN highlighted the challenges military and veteran families face due to poor financial health and introduced programming and initiatives to curb food and housing insecurity. Overall, the session challenged attendees to think critically about supporting financial stability for veterans and their families. 

The day continued with a presentation that shed light on the long-term care needs of veterans with invisible wounds, particularly brain injuries. Representatives from Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center led this session. It emphasized the complex challenges faced by veterans with brain injuries and co-morbidities, underscoring the need for a community-wide response to provide optimal care and long-term support. The discussion aimed to bridge the gap between medical and non-medical services, ensuring that support services evolve with discoveries and changing needs. 

As co-chairs of the Hidden Helpers Coalition, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation facilitated the final TEDx-style session about Hidden Helpers. The Coalition is working to create a collective, positive impact and network of support for military-connected youth caregivers and their families by collaborating with nonprofit, corporate, and government organizations. The session addressed the challenges of caregiving faced by approximately 2.3 million post-9/11 military and veteran children and young adults living with a wounded, ill, or injured veteran. This discussion called on attendees to consider the impact of caregiving on these young hidden helpers and how to support them.  

To wrap up the day, attendees participated in a session led by the Department of Veterans Affairs focused on the PACT Act. The conversation was designed to educate the partner audience on the impacts of the PACT Act's passing, its current implementation status, and any anticipated challenges or opportunities.  

Premier transportation company and long-time partner of WWP, CSX, sponsored the convening as part of its Pride in Service community investment initiative, which connects heroes and their families to their communities and the resources and support they need. Additionally, CSX hosted a panel joined by representatives from Operation Homefront and Blue Star Families exploring veteran employment considerations, spousal support, housing needs, and the importance of adapting as veterans’ needs change. 

“Through Pride in Service, CSX aims to connect national and local heroes – veterans, military, first responders, and their families – to the resources and support they need, when and where they need it,” said Bryan Tucker, CSX Stakeholder Engagement and Sustainability. “We are thrilled to play a role in bringing together grassroots organizations from across the country to our hometown of Jacksonville to learn from each other and ultimately help empower veterans across their lifetimes.”  

The 2024 Community Partner Convening is a testament to WWP’s unwavering commitment to empowering veterans for a lifetime. By uniting and harnessing the expertise of best-in-class organizations, WWP is leading the charge in building a stronger, more resilient community of support for those who have sacrificed so much for the nation.  

 *Warrior Survey, Wave 2 (conducted June 15-Aug. 24, 2022) 

Contact: — Krissty Little, Public Relations, klittle@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.760.6957

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 about Wounded Warrior Project.