Flight Pundit

Coming soon to Jacksonville: The Warrior House

Inspired by Camp Lejeune’s “Wounded Warrior” Barracks, Warrior House will be a place where wounded service members and their families can live while they find accessible housing in town.

Many childrens hospitals have Ronald McDonald houses located nearby. These homes take in the families of hospitalized children who face extended stays…now, in an effort to take care of Marines families facing the same situation, Warrior House will open. Along with families, this project intends to house wounded soldiers as well, who are in the process of looking for a place to live.

That’s one of the missions of Hope for the Warriors, a nonprofit group co-formed this month by Robin Kelleher and Shannon Maxwell.

Maxwell is the wife of Lt. Col Tim Maxwell, a Marine who fought back from a debilitating head wound to form the most innovative care for the wounded in the military at Camp Lejeune, where wounded Marines live and deal with their wounds together. By the same token, Shannon Maxwell formed the Wounded Warriors Spouses’ Support Group to help the spouses-turned-caregivers cope with their new role in life.

The Warrior House will take that inspiration and serve a different need.

“It’s following in the footsteps of the Wounded Warrior Barracks,” Maxwell said. “It’s the same concept. Whether married or single, they need that camaraderie. They need to share their experiences with those who understand.

“The concept is to have it out in town, something the whole community can partake in.”

Maxwell said a large number of wounded service members are settling in the area after they are discharged. Many are having a difficult time finding housing that meets the demands of their disabilities.

The goal is to provide temporary, accessible housing for wounded service members and their families until they can find a home or fit their home with the appropriate adaptations.

This is a great idea!

The Warrior House will offer rooms for families coming into town to visit a wounded loved one. It will also have a resource center, which can act as a clearinghouse of information on benefits, programs and organizations that can assist the war wounded.

The group is currently in search of land; they want to open the Warrior House “as soon as possible,” hopefully sometime in early 2007, Maxwell said.

Hope for the Warriors grew out of May’s “Run for the Warriors,” a charity race that drew more than 2,000 participants and raised more than $70,000 for charities to help wounded service members.

They need money! Everyone needs money and it seems that there are many good charities to donate our cash to. THIS is a little different. I just gave some money for this project because it will have a DIRECT impact on Marines- who have a special place in my heart…a wounded Marine in the process of healing needs as much support as possible. With that in mind, please consider
donating some money for this.

Your tax deductible donation can be made payable to:
Hope For The Warriors
PMB 48
1335, Suite E, Western Blvd.
Jacksonville, NC 28546
910-938-0596
info@hopeforthewarriors.org

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