Army veterans receive A Warrior’s Wish of pull-behind travel trailers
Army veteran Bryant Jacobs with wife, Michele and daughter, Karsyn.
Ashleigh Aungst of Hope For The Warriors with A Warrior’s Wish Recipient, Tristan Brown and family.
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (May 9, 2017) – Army veterans Tristan Brown and Bryant Jacobs share a love for the outdoors, but due to injuries sustained in combat, tent camping was no longer an option for either. Now, thanks to Hope For The Warriors® and its A Warrior’s Wish® program, camping is a reality again with their new pull-behind travel trailers.
Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope to service members, their families, and families of the fallen. Its first established program, A Warrior’s Wish, honors the goals and desires of severely wounded service members, veterans, and their families.
Each veteran will benefit from the more accommodating environments, allowing them the freedom to enjoy camping with their families once again.
“Thanks to Hope For The Warriors, this trailer is going to change my family’s lives,” said Utah-based, A Warrior’s Wish recipient Jacobs. “This trailer means that we don’t have to sit around all summer dreaming of going camping and weighing the pros and cons of camping in a tent. Being an amputee, it’s sometimes difficult to see the outdoors as an option for any period of time. It’s really important to keep my residual limb clean and a trailer is really the best option to do that.”
In addition to using the travel trailer for family vacations, both veterans intend to pay it forward by taking other veterans camping.
“I’m thankful to now have the opportunity to help other veterans by leaving all their chaos and troubles away, even if for just a weekend,” said North Carolina-based, A Warrior’s Wish recipient Brown. “I am more at peace in the wilderness, allowing me to clear my mind. The flexibility the travel trailer provides will help with the daily, never-ending memories of war that haunt me when I am trapped inside my home.”
“While serving in the military, many service members make unimaginable lifelong sacrifices,” said Robin Kelleher, president and CEO of Hope For The Warriors. “We’re excited that these travel trailers will bring some solace and relaxation to both veterans. The A Warrior’s Wish program is the small way we, at Hope For The Warriors, can help military members and their families move along with their civilian lives while thanking them for their incredible service to our country.”
In 2017, 12 wishes will be granted through Hope For The Warriors. The wishes fulfill a desire for a better quality of life or support a quest for gratifying endeavors for those who have sustained severe physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty.
Since the program’s inception, A Warrior’s Wish has granted 165 wishes.
Donations are still being accepted to sponsor both wishes. For sponsorship and volunteer opportunities for the A Warrior’s Wish program, contact Chrystal Keilers at ckeilers@hopeforthewarriors.org or (832) 776-9379.
To apply for a wish, visit https://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/story/19331538/a-warriors-wish and register online.
For more photos please visit: http://bit.ly/2pCh5nX.
For more information on Hope For The Warriors and A Warrior’s Wish, visit hopeforthewarriors.org, Facebook or Twitter.
About Hope For The Warriors:
Founded in 2006, Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for post 9/11 veterans, service members and military families. Since its inception, Hope For The Warriors has served more than 13,000 through a variety of support programs focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement and connections to community resources. The nonprofit’s first program, A Warrior’s Wish, has granted 165 wishes to fulfill a desire for a better quality of life or support a quest for gratifying endeavors. In addition, Run For The Warriors has captured the hearts of more than 22,000 since 2010. For more information, visit hopeforthewarriors.org, Facebook or Twitter.
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