Contributor: Corey Garmon, Security Specialist with Yulista Integrated Solutions (YIS)
In tribute to National Invest in Veterans Week, Yulista Integrated Solutions team member, Corey Garmon, opened up about his personal experience with non-profit organizations who supported him and his family during his recovery as a double amputee veteran. He hopes that sharing these resources can help other veterans, wounded warriors and their families in need.
“I had no knowledge of the 3 organizations before I started my military career or even before deployment. Yet, I will never forget what they’ve done for my family and me.” – Corey Garmon
Semper Fi & America’s Fund provides assistance to our combat wounded, critically ill and injured service members, military family members, and veterans, from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. I found out about America’s Fund several months after arriving at Walter Reed Military Medical Center.
For the first several months of my recovery, the most crucial time, American Funds wrote a monthly check to my family. This check matched my entire support team’s income giving them the opportunity to take care of me during those very dark days. That allowed my mother, father, brother, sister, and girlfriend to stay with me, in 24-hour shifts, the first 4 months. The mortgage lender doesn’t care that a son just lost multiple limbs fighting for our great country. Neither does the power company. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have them there when I needed them. Even if it was for just a hand to squeeze while I was suffering from the most immense pain imaginable. Now that I am a father myself, I wouldn’t care if the threat of losing my home was there. My son/daughter would need me by their side. AF gave my family the ability to focus 110% of their attention on me. To this day, AF has donated an estimate of $80,000 from the hardwood floors in my parent’s home so I could get around in my wheelchair, to the brick at my home now, to a cool all-terrain “Zoom Chair” that I can use to ride beside my daughter while she rides her bike.
To learn more about American Funds and their qualifications visit https://semperfifund.org/
Luke’s Wings provides emergency travel planning services and airplane tickets for the families and loved ones of wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and fallen officers, during hospital recovery and rehabilitation.
Personally, Luke’s Wings helped me the most by flying my family to and from Walter Reed Medical after my initial recovery. I struggled finding a good fit when it came to prosthetics care here in Alabama. There’s no better place for that then Walter Reed Medical. They would fly my wife, daughter, and I back up there to get prosthetic work done once a year. It’s a 13-hour drive to WRMMC from North Alabama. Flying private, like we did most of the time, allowed us to carry 10 entire prosthetic legs, plus tons of supplies.
To Learn more about Luke’s Wings visit https://lukeswings.org/
Yellow Ribbon Fund is committed to providing building blocks, coping mechanisms, and wellness solutions to families by allowing wounded warriors and their families to bond and relax in a stress-free environment.
Yellow Ribbon Fund helped with the build of my family’s wheelchair accessible home. The coolest thing I received from them was my “track chair”. It’s literally a wheelchair with tank threads. That chair turns a hectic day on the beach fighting the sand in my prosthetics to a breeze. It also comes in big when hunting!
To Learn more about Yellow Ribbon Fund visit https://yellowribbonfund.org/
We want to thank Corey for his service in protecting our country and his willingness to share his experience with us.
There are many non-profit organizations and resources that veterans and their families are not aware of. We hope fellow veterans, wounded warriors and their families find this informative and helpful. Yulista is committed to partnering with various non-profit organizations in support of our veteran community. Below is a list of non-profit organizations that are geared towards assisting and supporting our heroes.
EOD Warrior Foundation (EODWF) serves the EOD community by providing financial assistance and support to Active-Duty, Reserve and National Guard, Retired and Veteran EOD Technicians and their families. The Foundation believes that the EOD Family is for life. Our ongoing mission is to disarm the challenges of the EOD Family by providing our support with compassion and caring to every individual we serve.
BeArded WARRIORs is a Veteran suicide prevention and resource awareness non-profit; based in Huntsville, AL but our reach is nation-wide. We are a group of military and non-military volunteers that provide veterans and their families with opportunities to experience the fun and camaraderie of after-service community involvement.
Horsepower Therapy supports, empowers, and enriches the lives of America’s veterans, combat-wounded veterans and their families to heal from their wounds; both visible and hidden. It provides opportunities for those veterans and their families to experience the fun and fellowship of horsepower therapy and the bond shared by all veterans during track events, car shows, trail events, and industry events.
Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) has a mission to “Support the United States Army Aviation Soldier and Family”. It was formed in early 1957 by a small group of senior Aviation Officers in the active Army, the Reserve Forces of the U.S. Army and industry. The Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) is the only not-for-profit organization dedicated to representing the broad interests of Army Aviation.
Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a nonprofit educational and professional development association serving America’s Army and supporters of a strong national defense. AUSA provides a voice for the Army, supports the Soldier, and honors those who have served in order to advance the security of the nation.
