The PTSD Foundation of America
Our Mission
To meet the needs of our troops and their families through a concerted effort by developing a “Corps of Compassion” (comprised of churches and other caring organizations, armed with expanded resources and training), which reach out to meet the needs at a personal relationship level.
The PTSD Foundation of America is a year-round concerted effort with three key objectives:
- Raise awareness of the great needs of military families
- Leverage awareness into action: to expand the human and financial resources available so that the many excellent existing organizations can do more
- Connect armed forces families to the community and these expanded resources
If not me, then who?
If not now, then when?
The men and women of our country are fighting for our right to peace, freedom and liberty and they are coming home to their families. Many have scars that are visible; others have scars that we cannot see, wounded souls from the horrors of war that they have witnessed over and over again. We know that the one and only true healer of the soul is Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The churches of Houston and around the nation must network together to help these wounded warriors and their families. With God’s grace, it is our duty as Christian Americans to help these mighty warriors heal, it is our turn to step up and receive God’s call to help those that have fought and sacrificed so much for us.
The Need Is Urgent
The Iraq War began in March 2003 and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan started October 2001, with over 2,000,000 troop deployments to date. These deployments have averaged approximately 10 months at a time, with sometimes short returns home.
U.S. forces have sustained over 25,000 casualties, with 3,000+ deaths and another 22,000+ wounded. Many families have seen their second, third and even fourth deployments.
These families are hurting—bruising and bleeding on our behalf. Men and women returning from service often face difficulty with the transition back to “normal” life, and may experience relationship or financial struggles and even post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), “a ticking time bomb” in this generation of returning warriors. The effect of these burdens are dramatic, as seen in the rising divorce rate and in the increased potential for suicide, substance abuse, domestic abuse, and criminality.
This effort will empower a “Corps of Compassion”, rallying the Houston community and the nation to the call that:
The urgent needs of military families are best met through relationships and a community which can compassionately deliver a message of faith, hope and love.
Hearing and seeing the need is the call to action, and taking action starts as easily as extending a helping hand and a caring ear.
Our Community
Houston is recognized as a beacon of compassion, following our caring response to the needs of the victims of hurricane Katrina. It is our hope that Houston can once again be a model for other cities in recognizing the urgent needs of military families and responding with a heart of compassion.
This call also provides an opportunity for national healing, through properly honoring our military service men and women and their families for their service, rather than making them feel dishonored.
Regardless of one’s outlook on this war and conflict in general, these families need our compassion. No one supporting the Katrina victims was “pro hurricane” - they were simply responding to the human needs.
PTSD Foundation of America will partner with other like-minded individuals and organizations locally and nationally to execute its mission, and has gained the full support and involvement of Military Ministry, Mission Houston, Impact Houston, The Houston Astros and the Houston Texans.
PTSD Foundation of America is approaching many existing groups formed to honor and support military families and churches and other ministries throughout Houston and will be another key component of this community building effort. We will enlist extensive corporate and individual sponsorship for this compelling effort, and to this goal we have begun adding local Advisory Board members.
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.Support Our Troops
