May 21-22, Quality of Life Foundation was able to participate in the 2015 Warrior Community Integration Symposium hosted by our friends at America’s Warrior Partnership and the presenting sponsor, Wounded Warrior Project. The two day event kicked off with opening remarks from Jeremy Chwat of Wounded Warrior Project, and Jim Lorraine of America’s …
Congratulations to our May FSC of the month – Angie Pearce, who has been with Quality of Life Foundation for a full year now! Angie has recently worked with an Army veteran and his family referred to the Quality of Life Foundation by their VA Caregiver Support Coordinator. This family of 6 includes 3 minor …
Today, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation hosted the 2015 Hidden Heroes Coalition Summit: Progress and Promise here in Washington, DC. The summit marked one year since Senator Elizabeth Dole launched the National Coalition for Military Caregivers. In her remarks, Senator Dole named dozens of private, public, nonprofit and faith organizations and leaders who have taken steps …
Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes Coalition Summit Read More »
A VA Caregiver support coordinator recently referred a family of 5 to us including a veteran, his care-giving wife, and 3 children “in desperate need of support and community agencies to embrace them and help get them on track.” The veteran has deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq, and was medically retired from the …
Where are you located? We live in Bluff City TN Where did your veteran receive the majority of their medical treatment? Mountain Home VA in Tennessee Which branch of service is your family affiliated with? Army Please share how you came to be a caregiver My husband joined the Army in 2001 when he …
If you live in close proximity to a military installation, you may have seen this image in a window decal around town, but may not be familiar with the meaning and history behind the sticker. These “service flags” or “service banners” are an official banner that family members of service members can display (36 USC …
Where are you located? Currently Saint Petersburg, Florida but headed to Portland, Maine Where did your veteran receive the majority of their medical treatment? Togus VA, Augusta Maine and Bay Pines VA Saint Petersburg, Fl Which branch of service is your family affiliated with? My husband was a sergeant in the Army and I am …
Task Boards, Google Calendars, and Working Through It Read More »
Kali Gaskill, Quality of Life Foundation Family Support Coordinator, is our April Super FSC! She has been working recently with a mom-caregiver who has had to cut back on her hours at work in response to her son’s increased needs. Kali is providing VA advocacy to ensure the family receives the correct federal support, and …
A few thoughts from Stylist, Lindsey O’Connell about her work for Quality of Life Foundation families. “I’m a social worker too”, I said proudly. “Oh yeah, what do you do?” Pause. “Oh my gosh, nothing!” Now let me start by saying I am privileged and proud of being able to stay home with …
You may be familiar with the story of Chris Kyle, from either the book “American Sniper,” or its recent movie adaptation. If so, you were probably inspired by his drive, passion, and loyalty to country and family. You were likely also impressed by his skills, gifts, and talents that kept many American service members safe and …
Green is for growth In a month known for leprechauns, shamrocks, and green beverages, perhaps you’ve wondered why Quality of Life Foundation uses green rather than the red, white, and blue traditionally associated with organizations dedicated to American service members and veterans. The answer? Our green represents growth, healing, and revitalization – all …
This month we would like to highlight the TD Foundation. Since we began working with them this fall, they have given us over $26,000 which we have combined with discounts, pro bono support, and funding from our Unmet Needs Fund to bring almost $50,000 worth of assistance to 14 Quality of Life Foundation families. The …
Where are you located? We are located in Williamsburg Virginia, about an hour from Richmond and an hour from Norfolk. Where does your spouse receive medical treatment? My husband receives his VA care through the Hampton VA Medical Center. He is primarily seen by his primary team through Sentara Medical Group in Williamsburg to …
With a recent grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia, we improved the quality of life for 7 veterans, 7 caregivers, and 11 children – a total of 25 lives impacted. We found solutions to all 28 of the challenges these families asked us to address. Our Family Support Coordinators met these challenges by providing …
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Grant Read More »
Where are you located? Stafford, VA Where did your veteran receive the majority of their medical treatment? He had most of all his surgeries at Bethesda Naval ( Walter Reed now) and all his Rehab at the Tampa VA. Which branch of service is your family affiliated with? USMC Please share how you came to be …
Sharon Lavier, a Family Support Coordinator here at Quality of Life Foundation, recently began working with a wounded veteran caregiver. This young woman, whom Sharon describes as a spectacular mother of six, provides daily substantial care for her childhood sweetheart, who is now a wounded veteran. She recently wrote a review in response to the work …
Where are you located? I am located near Tampa, Florida Where did your Veteran receive Medical Treatment? My husband and I have moved quite often. He has received treatment in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Florida Veteran Affairs. Most being in Florida. Which branch of service is your family affiliated with? United States Air Force …
A caregiver currently enrolled in our Wounded Veteran Family Care Program (WVFCP) reached out to her Family Support Coordinator (FSC), James Howard, with a last-minute urgent request over the Christmas holiday, and here’s what she had to say…. “I just wanted to take a moment to thank QOLF and especially James Howard…you guys are …
We recently received a generous donation from Zeiders Enterprises. This most recent contribution will enable us to continue our mission of improving the Quality of Life for wounded veteran family caregivers! During the holidays, many Zeiders employees also chose to make a charitable donation to our foundation. As over 70% of Zeiders employees have a …
Quality of Life Foundation is fortunate to be able to work collaboratively with many great nonprofit organizations in taking care of our wounded veteran families. We were recently contacted by one such organization, Renovating Hope. Renovating Hope shared that they had been contacted by an individual who wished to give $4,000 to be used exclusively …
In December, the Quality of Life Foundation attended a conference hosted in Washington, DC by the Bob Woodruff Foundation dedicated to addressing the issue of intimacy after injury. In this groundbreaking two day event, the first of its kind to take on these issues, caregivers shared their deeply personal experiences with struggling to regain physical …
Again this year, we teamed with Azalea Charities to extend Holiday Blessings to the children of the families currently enrolled in our Wounded Veteran Family Care Program. With this program, we seek to relieve some of the stress that comes with the Holiday Season and help our families bless their children. Thanks to our generous …
Monday, September 29, marked a special day for the Quality of Life Foundation. We met the Briseno family in 2010 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and 4 years later, we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome them to their new, specially designed home that will allow for better quality of life for the whole …
Kim Munoz has spent the last six years building the Quality of Life Organization from the ground up as its first Executive Director and will now continue her work as a member of the board of directors. In her time as director, Kim researched and authored the Wounded Warrior Family Care Report by listening to …
We recently received a financial donation from the widow of a World War II Army veteran, Elvin Cox. Along with the donation, she included several newspaper clippings that gave us insight into the honorable and remarkable life he lived. Mr. Cox was the recipient of a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, a true American …
Mike Zeiders, Founder and Chairman of the Board for Quality of Life Foundation, has written two songs honoring military families. The first, “Take Care of My Family”, honors the families we serve through our Wounded Veteran Family Care Program.; families who provide full-time care to a veteran at home. Mike not only wrote this song, but …
On April 19, 2005, Debbie Schulz of Friendswood, Texas, got the call every parent of a service member in Iraq and Afghanistan dreads. Her child had been wounded. When she hung up the phone, in shock, all she knew was that her son was considered to be “VSI”, an acronym that she would later learn …
Many families enrolled in our Wounded Veteran Family Care Program include veterans who live with the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD occurs as the result of exposure to traumatic events. People who go through just one horrible event (i.e., a physical attack, a devastating natural disaster, a car accident, etc.), can develop …
On February 13, 2013, Helping a Hero, Azalea Charities and Quality of Life Foundation celebrated the ground breaking to build a new accessible home for Wounded Army Veteran Jay Briseno. Read this article for more.
The Quality of Life Foundation had the honor to work with a combat wounded veteran, his spouse/caregiver and their two-year old son. In 2007, during a deployment to Iraq, combat exposure and a bomb explosion left the veteran with a catastrophic wound to his left arm as well as PTSD. The family had heard about …
We met the family of a Marine through a caregiver who was already enrolled in our Wounded Veteran Family Care Program. The family (including 4 children under the age of 11) was facing a dire financial situation. The veteran, like many others, had left active duty service without realizing the toll his combat experiences had …
It was a hot summer day when we met an Army Reservist and his wife at their small apartment near the Richmond VA Medical Center (VAMC). They had relocated from New York to allow the soldier to receive care at the VAMC’s highly acclaimed Spinal Cord Injury Unit. He had been shot in the back …