An Easy Way to Help Our Veterans
The tagline for the Wounded Warrior Project, created to honor and empower wounded servicemen and women, gives me chills: "The greatest casualty is to be forgotten."
The number of people who cannot be forgotten is staggering:
48,000 have been physically injured in our recent military conflicts
400,000 service members are believed to suffer from combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder
320,000 are believed to have experienced a traumatic brain injury while deployed
Among those estimated 768,000 veterans is Jeffrey Adams, pictured here with his wife and baby. He was wounded in 2004 while serving in Baghdad and hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). Thirty surgeries later, Jeffrey is a test engineer in Alabama and a devoted member of the Wounded Warrior Project. (You can check out a moving video with his story.)
The Wounded Warrior Project has a great program that goes a long way to support our veterans and requires very little effort from us. It's called Believe in Heroes and it runs through November 11, Veteran's Day. Here are five simple ways to make a difference.
Download free coupons. Get high-value, free digital coupons from brands including Heinz, Nestle Nutrition, Campbell's, Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, and Welch's beginning on November 3 through December 2. Sign up at wwpbelieve.org.
Donate online. Visit wwpbelieve.org to make a tax-deductible donation that will help fund the WWP's programs and services for wounded members of the military.
Donate in stores. Thousands of grocery stores across the country are promoting the Believe in Heroes campaign through November 11. If your local store is among them, you can donate at checkout.
Go to Facebook. The Wounded Warriors Project page has a special app available so you can download coupons and learn the personal stories of more Wounded Warriors.
Purchase gear. You can buy both Believe in Heroes and Wounded Warrior Project merchandise here.
If you know a veteran who could use some support and assistance--or if you, as a loved one or caregiver of a veteran, could--you can register at WWP and start getting the help you all deserve.
