Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Daniels and his veterans non-profit The Journey Home Project (TJHP) are joining forces with another non-profit group, Code of Vets, to aid former U.S. servicemen and women who are suffering amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the country music and southern rock icon announced the partnership between the two organizations. Their collective mission is a call to action to seek public donations for vets suffering from economic hardships as well as those who have contracted the virus.
"Gretchen Smith and the folks at Code of Vets cover the guys below the radar, the ones with immediate needs and no place to turn, with a rapid deployment type response to veterans in desperate circumstances," says Daniels. "These are the same veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom. Our nation is pretty distracted by the coronavirus pandemic we’re all dealing with, but the need in the veterans world goes on, and the urgent need for funds is truly critical. I would ask you to join The Journey Home Project in supporting Code of Vets in providing for the needs of our most worthy citizens."
There are many stories from Americans during the COVID-19 crisis, but for weeks there has been a group suffering in silence: our veterans. Most days, these men and women battle PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), hunger, homelessness and unemployment but do their best to stay afloat. Code of Vets, a 501c3, has been on the front lines assisting a large number of veterans and their families, finding those in need of even the most basic items such as food, running water and electricity. Some have been infected with the virus itself.
“We are operating under emergency conditions with this alarming spike of veterans in crisis," explains Code of Vets Founder Gretchen Smith. "Please donate to assist with basic needs like food, housing and utilities. Our veterans matter. Every dollar matters. It is on us to take care of our own.”
“I've watched the amazing work that Gretchen and her team have done over the past year," notes TJHP co-founder and Daniels' manager David Corlew. "It's a natural fit for us to team with Code of Vets during a critical time such as this. Our veterans need us. They fought for us, so it's time for us to return the service. We can do this."
In pre-COVID-19 times, Code of Vets assisted veterans with mental health crisis, unemployment, housing and transportation, among others, but they are now encountering dire situations that they never expected.
Pressing issues for vets include:
Unable to pay bills due to layoffs
Spike in food assistance requests
Unable to afford basic needs such as: water, electricity, gas
Increase in veteran suicides
Unable to afford room or board due to job loss
No access to rent, mortgage, car payment relief or deferred payment programs
Unable to reach the VA (by phone/in-person) for necessary mental health appointments
This is only a glimpse into COVID-19’s affect on the veteran community.
“It is no longer business as usual. The urgency of these needs require all of our resources all of the time, and we need more Americans to step up for our veterans as they did for them,” adds Smith.
Daniels and The Journey Home Project urge the public to donate to Code of Vets during this trying time for our nation’s military heroes. Donations can be made at codeofvets.com.
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