More than 10 years after losing his right leg below the knee in an explosion fighting in the Iraq War, Marine Corporal Jake Schick was given the opportunity to ski for the first time in more than a decade. And now he’s returning the favor to other wounded veterans. Through the High Five Foundation’s “Military to the Mountains” project, Schick will bring veterans of the U.S. armed forces skiing this winter at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe, Calif., which has an entire ski program dedicated to … [Read more...]
Fitness College helps Veterans build careers in fitness
While the unemployment rate for veterans has been falling over the last two years, it still remains at historic highs with more than half a million active-duty veterans looking for work. Veteran Fitness Career College (VFCC), a nonprofit vocational school that provides a cutting edge personal training education specifically for veterans, is helping to solve the problem. The school is operated by former military personnel with a combined 150 years of military experience. With programs … [Read more...]
Operation Christmas Spirit brings holiday joy to Military families
For the last 10 years, Operation Christmas Spirit has been supporting veterans and active duty military personnel by bringing the spirit of Christmas to their families. With the slogan “Spreading the spirit of Christmas to those who served, asking for nothing in return,” Operation Christmas Spirit adopts over 150 families and fulfills their Christmas wish lists by providing gift cards to the families. This way, the families can still do their own shopping and ensure they get exactly what they … [Read more...]
Foundation Provides Service Dogs for Veterans in Need
The Patriotic Service Dog Foundation, a nonprofit based in Orange County, Calif., helps veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by training service dogs to provide companionship to the warriors. It's estimated that 460,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of war alone struggle with PTSD or traumatic brain injury. According to the foundation's website, "These conditions can lead to sleeplessness, depression, anger, anxiety and isolation." Those are the underlying causes … [Read more...]