Resources for Family Caregivers of Vets

By: AARP | Source: AARP The Magazine

Numerous organizations and agencies provide assistance to Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans and their families.

  • America Supports You. Maintained by the Defense Department, this Web site connects donors with more than 300 organizations that support the troops and their families, and refers service members to various types of assistance.
  • American Bar Association, Chicago. Provides Operation Enduring LAMP—legal assistance to military personnel. Services vary depending on location (800-285-2221).
  • The Army Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline. Helps resolve medical issues and brings problems to the attention of Army leaders (800-984-8523).
  • The Coming Home Project, San Francisco. Offers healing workshops and retreats led by therapists, religious leaders, and veterans (415-387-0800).
  • Fisher House Foundation, Rockville, Md. Builds “comfort houses” for families visiting major military and VA hospitals. Houses have shared kitchens, laundry facilities, and dining rooms (888-294-8560).
  • Give an Hour, Bethesda, Md. Offers a network of mental health professionals who volunteer to spend one hour per week counseling returning service members and their families at no cost.
  • Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Makes financial grants to injured or seriously ill Marines and sailors and their families, assisting with home and vehicle modifications (760-725-3680).
  • National Center for PTSD. Run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the center offers an informational Web site about posttraumatic stress disorder and operates a PTSD information line (802-296-6300).
  • Operation First Response, Culpeper, Va. Provides clothing, toiletries and phone cards to injured combatants; helps with housing and transportation costs (888-289-0280).
  • VFW Unmet Needs Fund, Kansas City, Mo.. Makes small grants to help military families with critical needs. The money can be used for basic personal expenses like truck repairs and house payments (866-789-6333).
  • Vets4Vets, Tucson, Ariz. Runs workshops where veterans can provide one another with peer support. Transportation, lodging, and other expenses are covered (520-319-5500).
  • Wounded Warrior Project, Jacksonville, Fla. Organizes outdoor activities, including rehabilitative bicycle rides and Alaskan fishing adventures, for injured vets. Also provides financial assistance and benefits counseling (904-296-7350).
Each branch of the military has its own program to assist injured troops as they make the transition back to civilian life.
AARP Caregiving resources:

More Articles on Caregiving »

Comments

preview


Member Benefit, Homeowners
Member Benefits and Services