🌱🐰💰 Supporting Veterans & Service Members
In this edition of The Good, The Bunny, The Money we're spotlighting the non-profit champions enabling us to donate innovatively and effectively to organizations supporting servicemen/women and veterans over the summer period.
The Good, the Bunny and the Money is our monthly take on the latest impactful success stories from across the U.S. and around the World.
'🌱 The Good' looks at nonprofits leading the way in impactful change;
'💰 The Money' takes a dive into the private-sector champions driving financial inclusion & economic development; and
'🐰 The Bunny' showcases the most promising collaborations between nonprofits and businesses working hand in hand for the People and the Planet.
Did you know that Veterans compromise nearly a quarter of all suicide deaths in the US? This is a shocking fact, yet, non-profits across the US are doing great work to tackle the issue, while also proactively supporting those in active service.
In this edition of The Good, The Bunny, The Money we're spotlighting the champions enabling us to donate innovatively and effectively to organizations supporting service members and veterans over the summer.
🌱 The Good: America's Warrior Partnership (AWP) - helping veterans transition into civilian life
The Situation: Since September 11, 2001, over 30,000 veterans have died by suicide - 4x the number of US military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Supporting veterans: AWP has a mission to partner with communities and organizations to prevent veteran suicide through providing job placements, health care, education and other services.
Operation Deep Dive: AWP understand the importance of using data to evaluate their programme. They’re currently concluding a 4-year study (in partnership with the University of Alabama) called Operation Deep Dive, identifying key risk factors associated with suicide and self-injury prevention to improve former service members' quality of life.
Another great example… of an organization providing support for veterans is Swords to Plowshares, which aims to “heal the wounds of war” through health and wellness services, housing support and financial stability.
🐰 The Bunny: OperationReconnect gives veterans the gift of time
The problem: Balancing military responsibilities with daily family life can be difficult. Research suggests around half of the post-9/11 veterans say it's difficult to adjust to civilian life.
The solution: Operation ReConnect partners with coastal property owners and rental management companies in Alabama and North West Florida to provide the gift of time to service members and their families by providing complimentary vacation accommodations along the Gulf Coast.
The importance? To reduce the disconnect from multiple-month deployments and allow for an uninterrupted week of vacation for families to reconnect.
An effective model: Operation ReConnect is managed and operated by combat veterans, meaning the organization has a unique understanding of the sacrifices and needs of Armed Forces members before, during and after deployment.
Simplicity is key: The programme's partnership with property owners and rental companies is based on simplicity, and control is in the hands of the owner. Operation ReConnect eliminates any conflict of interest with local businesses and prides itself on encouraging participation in supporting its mission.
💰 The Money: Impact Tourism is ensuring every vacation has a positive impact
The situation: As we set sail over the summer break, it’s important to recognize tourism's impact on the planet. In 2018, tourism accounted for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Impact Tourism… is defined as tourism that makes a strategic contribution of time, talent and treasure to social and environmental projects at destinations. Impact tourism is popular with travelers - a recent report highlights that 96% of tourists believe it’s important that travel dollars positively impact the destinations they visit.
What’s being done: The Intrepid Foundation’s mission is to create a positive impact through the joy of travel and community. Using Intrepid teams on the ground, they support carefully vetted partners to positively impact local communities by ensuring donations are given responsibly and impactfully where needed.
For those on the frontline in Ukraine: The Intrepid Foundation is helping raise funds for Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal. The donations will help teams stationed on the ground provide first aid, medicine and equipment. The administrative costs are covered by Intrepid meaning 100% of your donation will go to supporting the emergency response.
🥕 What else we’re munching:
- Small Projects Istanbul (SPI) is helping refugees establish a life in their new homes. The SPI’s Women’s Social Enterprise has supported 40 refugee women artisans to generate a livelihood by creating unique jewellery and clothes.
- The World Benchmarking Alliance are evaluating how global apparel companies disclose gender data throughout their supply chain, recently finding that no company is going above and beyond and that there is an opportunity for a “race to the top.”
- WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalising and Organising) empowers the working poor (especially women) in the informal economy to secure their livelihoods.
- Hope for Warriors provides a range of support programmes for service members, veterans and military families. For example, The Warrior’s Compass programme is a transition service offering resources for veterans starting new careers.
Image Credits: Cover Photo by Aaron Burden via Unsplash; America's Warrior Partnership; Intrepid Foundation; Pew Research Center.