Featured Rebel – Wounded Warrior Project
It’s no coincidence that Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is our first featured rebel. Rebel for a Cause’s very own John Melia founded WWP in 2003 after his military career shifted into veteran advocacy.
John knew firsthand what it felt like to return home injured after duty. He also sympathized with those young men and women who returned only to sit in a hospital bed unsure of what was next in their lives.
As a result, John recruited the help of his wife and two daughters to load up backpacks with comfort items such as playing cards, music, and clothes. They personally visited soldiers in nearby hospitals to deliver the packs. Although the project started small, this backpack project got big and it got big fast.
In just a few short years, WWP became an organized non-profit organization, and began doing more than delivering backpacks. Today, WWP connects veterans with counselors, mentors, and other services. The WWP mission is to raise awareness, offer effective programming, and help severely injured service members help themselves and each other.
In the beginning, many told John that WWP would be a difficult organization to run. But he didn’t care. He moved on with the plan and today he is glad that he did, because of all the people the project has helped and continues to help.
The Wounded Warrior Project is an example of a rebel for a cause. We plan to talk in detail about how John got the organization going and how the organization continues to operate despite challenges. Stay tuned for more information here on the site and in our forthcoming book.
We hope this brief description helps you understand what our site is about and helps you understand what a RebelforaCause.org is really all about too. Have you nominated a rebel?
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