Support Our Veterans and Honor Their Service by Getting Active – Here’s How
This post is sponsored by The Wounded Warrior Project.
Veteran’s Day is quickly approaching. Coming from a family of men and women who served in the military, I know firsthand what it means to veterans to be recognized and honored on this designated holiday that is celebrated across the country.
Veterans are much more than heroes. They are warriors. Throughout the years, they have and continue to fight the battles we never could for us to enjoy the freedoms that we would never have without their service.
There are those veterans who were able to serve and retire unscathed, but others were not so fortunate. Every day, service men and women return home and are faced to deal with health conditions and physical, mental, and emotional trauma sustained in combat or other acts of service while fighting on the frontlines for our country. One back home, many are often overlooked and left to face medical treatments, physical therapy, mental and emotional healing, and adjusting to their ‘new normal’ in the world – often with minimal support or resources to help.
“One day it just became too much,” veteran Taniki Richard says. “I was under so much extreme stress and pain that I just wanted it to end. I remember thinking, ‘How did I get here?’” https://t.co/QXAT6cMuhI #PTSD #MentalHealth
Created in partnership with @verizonmedia/@YahooNews pic.twitter.com/pU215RhsQr— WWP (@wwp) October 26, 2020
After all they have done for us, that is no way to feel honored at all. And while we may have a desire to help, it can be difficult to know how or where to start.
Fortunately, there is a way to supply wounded veterans with the support and resources they need by without the anxiety of doing something outside of our comfort zones!
The WWP Carry Forward® 5K, delivered by CSX®, is a powerful and unifying experience that raises mission-critical funds for services and resources for wounded veterans. Participation can be done virtually to ensure safety during these unprecedented times.
I selected to participate in the virtual 5K option to not only to honor all my family members past and present who made the brave decision to dedicate their lives to serving our country, but also to help support the thousands of wounded warriors to have the resources and services that they need.
My Uncle
Another Uncle
My Cousins
My family has so many that have served in the military. I have aunts, uncles, cousins, and so many more who have admirably served this country; and continue to serve even today. I have friends, neighbors, and others that have been injured while they served. I felt compelled to step into action to express my thanks for their courage and sacrifice. I am proud of them; and I want each and every one of them to feel supported and empowered to keep going. I want them to know that they do not walk their journeys alone.
Taking part in the The WWP Carry Forward® 5K was easy! I simply registered on the WWP Carry Forward® Virtual 5K website and asked my friends and family to contribute to my fundraising goal while raising awareness of WWP and how the organization benefits wounded veterans and their cargiver and families. Then I encouraged them to follow along as I completed my 5K virtually.
Where I live, many state-operated nursing homes for veterans as well as other support and medical services, are currently facing great financial strain in part to the impacts of COVID-19. Managing physical, mental, and emotional health and well being isn’t something that veterans should have to do on their own. We should carry that weight for them, allowing them to focus solely on transitioning to civilian life.
That is exactly what the Wounded Warrior Project and its offerings are all about. The non-profit organization provides free support to veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001. In addition, WWP works tirelessly to provide peer mentoring for veterans in need, and advocate for governmental policies to improve the lives of veterans across the country.
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According to the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, “As service members transition out of uniform, most experience additional transitional stress as they leave the #military culture and learn to adapt to the norms and expectations of the civilian world.”
There is no better way to encourage and empower service members in times like these than to get involved in the WWP Carry Forward® Virtual 5K. Our veterans need to feel honored now more than ever.
The best part about the WWP Carry Forward® Virtual 5K is the power to choose the location and date — Veterans Day, or anytime of year that works best — and opt to organize a 5K as a solo run/walk or with friends and family (6 feet apart, of course!). It’s the perfect solution for these unprecedented times of social distancing and juggling virtual learning! Or you can simply make a monetary donation.
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You can show your support while you run or walk at your Carry Forward Virtual 5K by carrying a flag to show support and patriotism, carrying a weight to represent the responsibilities veterans carry, or carrying another person to symbolize one warrior carrying another. Whatever you choose, ask your community to donate to your fundraising goal, and use the hashtag, #WWPCarryForward to share your actions and connect with fellow virtual participants across social media. That’s it!
It is our turn to stand up for those who have fought for us by supporting the programs they need to live life to the fullest on their own terms. Taking part in the WWP Carry Forward® Virtual 5K is a way to ensure wounded veterans and their families stay inspired and lifted up in their time of need as they readjust to civilian living throughout their journey of recovery and beyond.
There’s still time to registered for the virtual #WWPCarryForward 5K! Sign up now at the WWP 5K website here. You can also connect with WWP on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
