Dear Friends,
As a nation we are in general, grateful to our military members who serve to protect our freedom and democracy. Most of us however, are gravely unaware of the numerous issues many of them face upon returning home from duty. Some of them have sacrificed far more than we can imagine; visible wounds as in loss of limb, serious bodily injury, and also wounds we cannot see.
Consider these sobering facts:
- There are more than 50,000 wounded to date from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- There have been over 130,000 reported cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome since 2002.
- Since 2000, there are more than 300,000 reported Traumatic Brain Injury incidents.
- The average hospital stay is 300 days, with treatment regimens lasting as long as four years.
- Most recovering soldiers are separated from family for long periods while in treatment.
Serve Our Willing Warriors (SOWW), is a Virginia, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created to support our country’s wounded warriors and their families. Our core mission has been to establish and maintain a respite for these families as a getaway during their recovery process. Sitting on a lush 37 acres in the foothills of the Bull Run Mountains, the Bull Run Warrior Retreat is located in Haymarket, Virginia, about 30 miles from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. The Retreat’s serene setting offers a warm, home-like environment where service members and their families can relax and enjoy quality time together away from a clinical setting. We also organize an array of local activities in the surrounding area for guests’ enjoyment and entertainment during their stay.
It is through our volunteers and partners that SOWW became a reality. Over 92% of support donated to SOWW goes directly to the program to provide support and encouragement to our nation’s warriors and their families during their recovery process, and to maintain a peaceful retreat for them to escape to and rebuild their lives.
We hope you will prayerfully consider SOWWING SEEDS OF HAPPINESS for our Warriors and their Families.
For more information on how you can help support our efforts please visit www.willingwarriors.org.
Sincerely,
Shirley Dominick
President
Serve Our Willing Warriors
SOWW is a non-profit charitable organization as described undersection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Tax ID #: 46-0683036 ~ CFC# 90228
