Veterans Participate in MLK Day of Service with Wounded Warrior Project
No Such Thing As Small Acts of Service: To honor the legacy of the late civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Americans around the country participated in service events to commemorate #MLKDay.
Across the country, members of our nation's military got in on the acts of service, too.
PHOENIX (Jan. 27, 2017) – Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) veterans commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by volunteering at Esteban Park in southern Phoenix. During the outing, warriors experienced what is possible at social events that connect them with fellow service members.
WWP participants joined the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department for its MLK Jr. Day of Service. The park beautification efforts included raking leaves, picking up trash and debris, pulling weeds, and sweeping the athletic courts and playgrounds.
“Events like these bring wounded warriors together to continue to make a difference in the community, one opportunity at a time,” said Army veteran Carrington Melton. “It also gives the community a chance to work alongside veterans and establish a much stronger bond.”
These connection activities support the recovery needs of warriors by reintroducing them and their families to the unique bonds experienced during military service. In a WWP survey of the injured warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.7 percent) talked with fellow veterans to address their mental health issues, and 29.6 percent expressed physical activity helps.
Staff members closely interacted with attendees throughout the afternoon, advising them of additional services to assist in their recovery processes. WWP offers a variety of programs and services that help injured veterans with mental health, physical health and wellness, career and benefits counseling, and connecting with other warriors and their communities. Generous donors make it possible for wounded warriors to take part in outreach activities and benefit from program resources at no cost to them.
Gatherings like this serve as opportunities for wounded warriors to connect with their community while feeling empowered through helping others.
“Wounded Warrior Project has assisted me and my family in many ways,” Carrington said. “It empowers me to see that – despite my disabilities – there are many warriors who are the same, and we can all rise above and continue to make a difference in our lives and the community. By allowing my family to be involved, it has made us all stronger.”
To learn and see more about how WWP’s veteran programs and services connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, click on multimedia.
Contact: Rob Louis – Public Relations
Email: RLouis@woundedwarriorproject.org
Phone: 904.627.0432
About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org.