We’re very honored to have the SoldierStrong organization as our January Charity Spotlight. Recommended to us by BCA’s Marc Franzoni, this organization is dedicated to greatly improving the lives of U.S. Military veterans.
SoldierStrong, previously known as SoldierSocks, helps American patriots literally take their new steps forward. Through educational scholarships and by harnessing the most innovative technology in advanced rehabilitation, we help our returning service men and women to continue moving in the only direction they should know – forward. Nearly every dollar SoldierStrong receives goes towards direct support of American patriots so that they can re-acclimate to civilian life. Our organization works to remind those men and women who sacrificed so much that we are forever thankful.
Small goods. Large impact. From this simple ethos, SoldierStrong began its journey of helping service men and women. Along the way, they’ve developed into an organization with a national profile that now stands at the forefront of non-profits dedicated to improving the lives of our nation’s heroes.
Back in 2009, we saw that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan lacked some basic essentials – namely tube socks and baby wipes, cherished items in the harsh deserts of the Middle East. Moved to take action, we founded SoldierStrong and,working with local businesses and civic organizations around Stamford, Conn., held sock drives and fund-raising events. Word of our mission spread, and our partnerships grew in scope to include organizations such as Cablevision, Sports Illustrated, ConAir and Newman’s Own, in addition to a number of schools and universities, churches and other civic organizations.
People took notice – SoldierStrong shipped over 50,000 pounds of items to our troops abroad, and drew praise here at home, receiving a commendation from the U.S. House of Representatives and a Presidential Call to Service Award from the White House.
As the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq wound down and our ambitions to help grew, SoldierStrong’ focus pivoted from providing goods to soldiers abroad to helping them thrive here at home. Our efforts quickly evolved beyond simple sock drives to scholarships for returning veterans and partnering with cutting-edge rehabilitation technology companies to literally get our heroes “back on their feet”.
Although we’ve since left sock drives and care packages behind to tackle new challenges, SoldierStrong’ remains committed to its founding principles: providing our patriots with the resources and support they need to overcome obstacles new and old. While the goods that we now provide – state-of-the-art medical devices and educational opportunities at some of our nation’s most prestigious institutions – are in no way small, our impact continues to be outsized.