A cup ‘o Joe for G.I. Joes and Janes

A few weeks ago I introduced many of you to a great organization that is working with our warriors suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The organization was created by former Chrysler engineer Jeff Zyburt and his rehabilitation expert daughter Tonia and is called the Warrior Institute (www.warriorinstitute.org). See the link below to a fantastic story in the Gainesville Sun about their latest caffeinated venture on behalf of our brave men and women protecting our liberty.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150126/ARTICLES/150129722

Warrior Institute – Helping Our Veterans

Cuddling brutal dictators and removing our spine when it comes to North Korean terror threats seems to get all the news these days. But here’s a number that should really make you angry: 22. That’s the estimated number of our veterans and active soldiers killing themselves EVERY DAY in this country. Some well-known and not-so-well-known organizations are trying to help our warriors on a daily basis. I’ll be using my blog to introduce you to one you probably haven’t heard of, but deserves your attention if this national tragedy saddens you as much as it does me.

Warrior Institute is a 501(c)(3) Florida-based public charity that provides transitional and rehabilitative services for military service member, veterans and their families for no cost. Its primary services are an innovative combination of recreational therapy and biofeedback training. Its programs are designed to enhance the quality of life for individuals with symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Warrior Institute was established by the father-daughter team Jeff and Tonia Zyburt in 2011 in response to the troubling trends being found in military-based populations including previously mentioned suicides, unemployment (up to 30 percent), divorce (three times the national average), substance abuse and depression (20 percent of the population). Jeff and I worked together at Chrysler. Iconix’s founders Bob and Sandy Evans (Auburn Hills, MI) and their team have been providing all the web work and marketing support to Warrior Institute free of charge.

One of the Warrior Institute’s Board members is Iraq War veteran Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell – the original “wounded warrior.” I know you are scratching your head right now, thinking how could a soldier injured in Iraq be the first wounded warrior? Actually, CNN first coined the term “wounded warrior” when reporting of Tim’s TBI. Currently, our hero, Tim, travels the country, offering inspirational support to and for our wounded warriors.

You can learn more about Warrior Institute at www.warriorinstitute.org. You can visit the site to donate to the cause. Every dollar helps our warriors.

I’ll be sharing success stories from time to time on this blog. I hope my followers will help Jeff, Tonia and their team begin to turn around this national tragedy concerning our troops.