Making Jewelry in Support of Wounded Warrior Project

Veterans Day gives us an opportunity to pause, remember and recognize the men and women who have served our country.

At Fire Mountain Gems and Beads, honoring those who serve is near and dear to our hearts. It's also an opportunity to shine a light on organizations working every day to support veterans and their families.

One of those organizations is Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), which serves post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families as they navigate life after military service.

A Mission to Honor and Empower

Wounded Warrior Project began in 2003 and has grown into a nationwide veterans service organization with a mission to "honor and empower wounded warriors."

The organization focuses on the total well-being of post-9/11 wounded, ill and injured veterans and their families, offering programs and services at no cost to those it serves.

Since 2003, more than 270,000 warriors, family members and caregivers have registered with Wounded Warrior Project.

Support Beyond the Battlefield

For many veterans, returning home doesn't mean the challenges of service are over.

Some live with visible injuries. Others face challenges that aren't as easy to see. Wounded Warrior Project provides programs designed to address mental, physical, social and financial wellness while helping veterans build connections and move forward in civilian life.

Mental health services include programs such as Project Odyssey®, which uses adventure-based learning to help veterans build resilience, and WWP Talk, which provides ongoing one-on-one emotional support.

Physical wellness programs help veterans become more active and build confidence, with adaptive opportunities available for warriors with different abilities.

WWP also helps veterans navigate the practical challenges that can come with transitioning to civilian life. Through financial wellness programs and Warriors to Work®, veterans and their families can receive help with career counseling, résumé preparation, interviewing, financial education and accessing VA benefits.

All Wounded Warrior Project programs and services are provided at no cost to warriors and their families.

The Power of Connection

Sometimes support starts simply by knowing you're not alone.

Wounded Warrior Project helps connect veterans with other veterans through peer support groups, local and virtual events and a nationwide community of people who understand many of the experiences that come with military service.

That sense of connection can extend beyond veterans themselves. Families and caregivers also play an important role in a veteran's journey, and WWP offers programs and resources designed to support them as well.

Finding Your Own Way to Show Gratitude

Supporting veterans doesn't have to take one particular form.

It can mean volunteering with a veterans organization, learning more about the challenges veterans face, checking in with a military family or simply thanking someone for their service.

For jewelry makers, creativity can offer another way to express that gratitude.

Create a patriotic bracelet for a veteran you know. Make a personalized piece incorporating meaningful colors, dates or symbols. Gather a group of friends for an afternoon of jewelry making and donate finished pieces to an appropriate local organization. Or wear a handmade design that honors someone who served and use it as an opportunity to share their story. Explore Jewelry-Making for a Cause: Ways to Give Back for more ideas.

Jewelry has long been a way to commemorate people, places and moments that matter. A handmade piece can become a small but lasting expression of appreciation. Read more about how to honor veterans: Honoring Our Veterans: Stories of Service, Sacrifice and Support.

Honor Through Action

Veterans Day is more than a date on the calendar. It's an opportunity to recognize service, learn about the experiences of veterans and consider how each of us can show our appreciation.

For Wounded Warrior Project, that means helping wounded veterans and their families find connection, resources and opportunities to thrive long after their military service ends.

For the rest of us, it can begin with something much simpler: remembering, saying thank you and finding our own way to give back.

To learn more about Wounded Warrior Project, its programs and the veterans and families it serves, visit WoundedWarriorProject.org.