The Warrior Connection Inc

THE WARRIOR CONNECTION (TWC) PROVIDES RESIDENTIAL RETREATS AND SERVICES TO VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HEAL THE INVISIBLE INJURIES INCURRED WHILE IN UNIFORM. TWC OFFERS SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS FOR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES. PROGRAMS ARE FREE TO VETERANS AND FAMILIES OF ALL ERAS. TWC COMBINES SEVEN PROVEN MODALITIES OF HEALING IN AN IMMERSIVE AND RESIDENTIAL SETTING THROUGH: INDIVIDUAL MENTORING, GROUP COACHING, BIO-FEEDBACK TECHNOLOGY, EXPRESSIVE ARTS, NATURE ACTIVITIES, TRAUMA-SENSITIVE EXERCISE, AND MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES.

AFTER THE UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL PANDEMIC LED OUR NATION INTO AN INCREASED STATE OF TRAUMA, LOSS, AND GRIEF, AND WE TURNED THE CALENDAR TO 2021, TWC PROGRAMS STAFF BALANCED THE NEEDS OF THOSE REQUESTING OUR SERVICES AND SAFE IMPLEMENTATION OF IN-PERSON OPERATIONS. OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS DID PRECISELY WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT, DEVISED WAYS TO MEET THE CDC PROTOCOLS, AND CONTINUED TO OFFER CRITICAL SERVICES WITH NEW AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS. ALTHOUGH TWC OFFERED A REDUCED PROGRAM SCHEDULE IN 2021, WE COULD RUN A FULL COMPLEMENT OF PROGRAMS FOR ALL THREE OF OUR TARGET AUDIENCES - MALE VETERANS, FEMALE VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES. ADDITIONALLY, TWC CONDUCTED MENTOR AND FACILITATOR TRAINING, PAVING THE WAY FOR 2022. UPON RETURNING TO IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES, TWC BEGAN TO SEE TRENDS WITH THOSE RELATIVELY UNSCATHED BY PERSONAL ILLNESS OR FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, A CONTINUED LOSS OF CONNECTIVITY AND TREASURED EXPERIENCES WEIGHED HEAVY ON THE HEARTS OF MANY WE SERVED, ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE ALREADY COPING WITH PTS, MST, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY USING ISOLATION. TWC SAW THESE LOSSES FIRSTHAND AS PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGHER RATES OF SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES. TWC PROGRAM TEAM MEMBERS MET THIS CHALLENGE HEAD-ON WITH INGENUITY, MADE IT THROUGH THE ABBREVIATED RETREAT SEASON STRONGER THAN EVER, AND ARE POISED TO RETURN TO A FULL PROGRAM YEAR IN 2022. IN ADDITION TO RUNNING OUR PROGRAMS FACE-TO-FACE, TWC CONTINUED TO EMBRACE VIRTUAL PLATFORMS WITH MILITARY PERSONNEL, VETERANS, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL FRONTLINE WORKERS, BUSINESS LEADERS, AND CORPORATE PARTNERS BY SHARING OUR WELLNESS PHILOSOPHY AND THE SCIENCE OF POST TRAUMATIC GROWTH. AS FRIENDS OF OUR WORK, YOU KNOW THAT TWC ASCRIBES TO A PHILOSOPHY OF "WHAT DOESN'T KILL US WILL MAKE US STRONGER." THIS PHILOSOPHY SUGGESTS THAT WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH, WE TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLORE OURSELVES, FIND MEANING IN OUR TRAUMA, AND REFRAME NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES SUCH THAT WE BECOME BETTER VERSIONS OF OURSELVES. THIS IS THE BASIC DEFINITION OF POST TRAUMATIC GROWTH, AND A VIEW OF TRAUMA TWC EMBRACES WHOLEHEARTEDLY. ADDITIONALLY, TWC FOLDED VIRTUAL "MEET-UPSX AND GROUP REUNIONS INTO OUR REGULAR RETREAT FOLLOW-UP ROUTINES USING VIRTUAL TOOLS. IN ADDITION TO THE FINANCIAL AMOUNTS REPORTED ELSEWHERE THE ORGANIZATION RECORDED IN-KIND DONATED SERVICES OF $31,900.