Dozens of charities have risen in the wake of starting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of
Servicemen from America and its coalition of the willing have been severely injured by combat. It comes at great expense to the military hospitals as well as the victims. Once Servicemen
are medically discharged or retired, the costs of care and recovery are overwhelming. Veterans often have no means to pay for all their needs once they are civilians. The following list
includes groups that improve Servicemen's severely injured quality of life. They live up to our philosophy of "Service before Self".
1. Hope For The
Warriors
2. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
3. United Service
Organization
4. Navy Marine Corps Relief Society
5. Wounded Warriors Family Support
6. Puppies Behind Bars
7. Homes For Our Troops
8. Thanks USA
9. Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust
10. Fisher House Foundation
11. Veterans Outdoor Advocacy Group
12. Collier County Veterans Council!
Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced actions to strengthen the Caregiver Support Program and establish a timeline for expanding the Program of
Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) in accordance with section 161 of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (MISSION Act). Under the MISSION Act, VA will expand the PCAFC to eligible Veterans
from all eras using a phased approach. Currently, the program is only available to eligible Veterans seriously injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. To learn more about the many support services available for caregivers of Veterans, visit www.caregiver.va.gov or call the Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.
OUTDOOR THERAPY
"Studies have shown—and veterans organizations strongly concur—that outdoor recreational activities can
provide powerful therapeutic and healing benefits as well as camaraderie for veterans struggling with combat-related injuries or post-traumatic stress," said Smith in a statement. "We should be
thinking outside-the-box to discover as many ways as possible to help veterans, and opening up federal lands and removing barriers to access for remedial outdoor recreation is a no-brainer. My
legislation would help increase access to this treatment option."
Naples already organizes fishing trips for veterans throught the Take A Soldier Fishing group. Contact them to join a boat for the day. Become a captain and share your backwater
fishing boat to introduce saltwater fly fishing with conventional baitcasting fishermen. Learn more about saltwater fly fishing through the local club, Backcountry Fly Fishers.
Empathetic young men have invented treatments for struggling veterans who carry the scars of war with them every day. Private
companies have stepped forward help veterans where the VA, public services, and private doctors have come up short. They address different issues, but the esprit de corps remains the same.
Groups trying to pick up the pieces of shattered lives include:
The Raider Project
22 Kill
Gallant Few
Hooves For Heroes
The Darby Project
Silkies Hike
The Oscar Mike Foundation
Save22veterans
Operations Strides
The Veterans Council of Collier County & the American Red Cross of Collier County are working together to support the needs of our
soldiers overseas. The Red Cross will send our Care Packages to individuals in the military through their system, which is quicker and better than send them through regular mail. Several of our local
churches and civic groups already have programs in place to start assembling these Care Packages, we just need names & addresses of soldiers to send them to.
Typical Care Packages will include:
• Stationery (Letter Paper & Envelopes)
• Stamps
• Batteries
• Pens & Pencils
• Disposable Razors
• Matches
• Playing Cards
• Deodorant
• Toothbrushes & Toothpaste
• Baby Wipes / Cleaning Wipes
• Clearasil / Stridex Pads
• Rolaids
• Hard Candies
• Coffee and Hot Chocolate Pouches
You can also mail your donation to:
Veterans Council of Collier County
Attn: Chief William Carl, President
527 107th Ave N
Naples, FL 34108
Please make checks payable to the "Collier County Veterans Council" .
Government agencies and non-profits, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Hiring Our Heroes initiative use ID.me to enhance individual access to benefits and services and prevent fraud through strong identity verification services.
Over 400 of your favorite brands, such as Under Armour, SeaWorld and Verizon, use ID.me’s verification
technology to offer exclusive discounts to members of the following communities: Military, Students, First Responders, Teachers and Government Employees.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the White House Domestic Policy Council hosted an iinnovation summit Sept. 23 as part of The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End the
National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) task force. The summit brought together more than 100 leading researchers, clinicians, innovators and decision makers to discuss research on public health
solutions to end Veteran suicide. The interagency group is charged with implementing a roadmap for Veteran suicide prevention at the national and community levels by March 2020. “Collaboration and
research are integral parts of VA’s public health approach to suicide prevention,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The work of the PREVENTS task force, like this summit, move us closer to solving
the problems that lead to suicide and ultimately finding an end to Veteran suicide.” Held during Suicide Prevention Month, the summit provided a unique opportunity for public and private sector
collaboration — to research and explore innovative ways to reach Veterans in crisis — and provide them with support in their communities. A request for information that went out in August generated a
wealth of ideas and elicited new insights for developing a national research strategy to end Veteran suicide. Those results will be compiled into action items as part of President Donald Trump’s
March 5, Executive Order establishing the PREVENTS task force in June. Suicide is a complex national public health issue that affects communities nationwide, with more than 45,000 Americans —
including more than 6,000 Veterans — dying by suicide every year. The summit strengthened public-private partnerships that will identify gaps in the current suicide research environment and implement
ideas to fill them. Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
Veteran-owned businesses are an important engine of economic growth. New research from Experian has found that veterans tend to own and operate business with a larger employee base, and veteran-owned businesses have better longevity and sustainability than non
veteran-owned business. (Experian analyzed and compared the credit data of veteran-owned businesses and non-veteran-owned businesses from 2015 through July 2019.)
Nearly 25% of veterans express interest in starting a business. That’s the good news. The bad news is entrepreneurship among younger veterans is on the decline. A report by Bunker Labs suggests one way to foster veteran entrepreneurship is through
an “ecosystem” approach: “Taking an ecosystem approach to facilitating entrepreneurship requires ensuring that there is relationship density, strong network effects, and connected resources for
entrepreneurs.”