.png)
Veterans Rebuilding Life is a non-profit organization for veterans, by veterans, and also helps victims of war and humanitarian crises.
Instead of duplicating pre-existing services, Veterans Rebuilding Life targets needs that are lacking support and provides other solutions that they know will be successful. The organization has three different phases when helping its clients: mentorship and mediation (phase 1), training and employment (phase 2), and paying it forward (phase 3).
During the first phase, Phase 1, mental and emotional factors are targeted, and it has been proven to be the most helpful when transitioning from military to civilian life. Participants are matched with a veteran mentor that helps guide them while family mediation sessions are held to help process trauma as well as all the hardships that come with being in the military. The first phase also offers PTSD treatments; One of the main goals of this phase is to reconnect veterans with their families and mediate conversations between them to help dissuade PTSD symptoms.
Phase 2, or training and employment, pinpoints social and physical needs. The reliance on network community partnerships is essential. With their mentors, participants are able to apply for benefits, register at military-friendly schools, and access tutoring services. Participants also have the option to learn new skills through certified training programs and job interviews. Oftentimes, this happens through the organization’s network of support within the community.
The last phase, Phase 3, provides veterans with a plethora of volunteer opportunities. Some of these volunteer opportunities for participants include volunteering for a humanitarian mission and are given the option of caring for a fellow veteran, or even an innocent child that was harmed in the crossfire of war. Through the recruitment of participants, the program is also able to maintain self-sufficiency.
“I came to volunteer with Veterans Rebuilding Life, but they declined my offer, after learning I was refused care at the VA hospital,” said Marine Sniper, Iraq War veteran Jason Sagebiel. “Instead, VRL provided an attorney to fight the VA, and told me I could volunteer only after I’d been taken care of. That’s integrity.”
That’s not all Veteran Rebuilding Life offers, however. In addition to the organization’s three different phases, mentors maintain a record for each participant to help Veterans Rebuilding Life gather adequate data, which promotes improvement and troubleshooting successfully.
Veterans Rebuilding Life provides an all-inclusive approach to helping veterans re-enter into civilian life. Through the three phases, participants are given the tools to succeed. This non-profit is making strides in helping the veteran community.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Veterans Rebuilding Life’s Twitter
