Despite the current state of foreign affairs at the forefront of most American minds, the status of returning Veterans who served abroad often goes unacknowledged. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) extends itself beyond simple awareness. This non-for-profit organization provides financial support for physically and psychologically wounded veterans returning from overseas. Drawing inspiration from the “communities” portion of Professor Gaytan’s HBSE II course, the 2012 daytime Social Work cohort decided to team up and devote energy to this cause. Our cohort has been actively raising money to donate to the WWP. On May 1st we will run/walk the NEIU Golden Eagle 5K to raise awareness of the Wounded Warrior Project and their mission. Our cohort anticipates the opportunity to offer the WWP the sum of donations collected. Thus far, we have reached $445 in online donations alone.
Working on this project holds strong social work implications for us aspiring and anxious to be in the field. For some, the project is more personal. Marlene Julye, veteran and social work student, said, “I feel that veterans… many of them are forgotten.” Julye served in the military from May 2004 to November 2008 and took responsibility to organize her classmates. Julye originally planned on running for this cause before she brought the idea to her cohort’s attention. “Having the class involved is more than I could have done by myself,” she said. Each student took responsibility for a job to contribute, ranging from contacting the news and the WWP, setting up Facebook pages, and even creating tee shirts. Juyle recognizes the strong impact the WWP has for veterans, some of whom she knows personally. Julye said that the WWP helps veterans feel as though they are still part of a team while transitioning back into civilian life. In general, this project represents why we want to be in social work: devoting ourselves to a cause that matters to strangers, to our peers and to ourselves.
-Megan Ponte
