Wounded Warriors Canada

We hope you and your family had a great Christmas and are having a restful holiday. For those working on the frontlines at home and abroad, thank you for your selfless dedication to the safety and security of our country and communities. As 2024 draws to a close, we pause and reflect on a year of profound impact, made possible by the unwavering support from our community of supporters and donors from across Canada. The contributions are not just appreciated but essential to help us keep pace with the demand for our services. To capture the spirit of this national effort, we wanted to a moment to shed light on the volunteerism, compassion, and generosity of those who make our life-changing programs possible. On behalf of our everyone at Wounded Warriors Canada, we wish you and your families a healthy and prosperous New Year. 

On Giving Tuesday, we share the story of Sarah Routhier. In 2018, her husband of 19 years, OPP Sgt. Sylvain Routhier, took his own life. In the years ahead, Sarah struggled as her mind would continue to race – reliving those tragic moments over and over again. When she was offered the opportunity to participate in our Surviving Families Program, she didn’t think it would be helpful, however, agreed to attend. In the end, the experience proved to be life-changing, allowing her to process her trauma and heal in a group setting of similarly injured family members. The program helped her think about Sylvain in a positive way and remember all the incredible memories they made. We thank Sarah for her willingness to pay her experience forward to help others and want to thank our donors across Canada for your support, without which these life-changing programs would not exist. Give today to Support Surviving Family members like Sarah: https://lnkd.in/gf7W6iC2

On Remembrance Day, we take pause to honour the service and sacrifice of our Canadian Armed Forces members. We remember that freedom is not free and comes at a cost. One of the ways we honour military service in Canada is by issuing medals, each are prized acknowledgements of courage, leadership, or meritorious conduct. Veteran Rob Martel served for 26 years, including multiple deployments overseas. Following his PTSD diagnosis, he and his wife founded Martel's Medal Mounting, which became a life-saving endeavour for him. Rob’s story is one of inspiration and hope best captured in his own words: “Help is out there, for you and your family. Don’t fight alone. You won’t know what works for you until you find something that does.” Honour the Fallen, Help the Living.

An honour to be welcomed into the Chippewas of the Rama First Nation where it was announced that Wounded Warriors Canada will serve as a formal mental health training and counselling provider to Rama Police, Fire and Paramedic Services. We're partnered with over 150 Trauma Exposed Organizations nationally and we continue to see how these formal working relationships are removing barriers to accessing the culturally specific mental health training and counselling supports we know Trauma Exposed Professionals need and deserve.

If you’re a Veteran or First Responder family living in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, our Warrior Kids Virtual program has a few spots left for the 6-week fall program beginning November 6th! Warrior Kids is designed to help families build resilience around unique traumatic experiences encountered as a First Responder or Veteran, as well as other organizational stressors such as shift work, danger, and postings. The program meets each family where they are, focusing on their strengths and developing awareness of Operational Stress Injuries all while supporting youth mental health. Registration closes on October 16th. For questions or to apply, please visit: https://lnkd.in/gWBP-Vqj

Registration for BBR25: Liberation of the Netherlands is now open! Join our Battlefield Bike Ride next September for an unforgettable 5-day cycling journey, as we celebrate, commemorate and reflect on Canada’s considerable contributions to the liberation of the Netherlands. Together, we will honour the bravery and sacrifice that forged ties between our two nations that continue to this day. Space is limited. You can learn more and register here: www.bbrseries.ca

Thanks to our partnership with Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, we're proud to announce to launch a new online training course, A practice-based approach to self-care: TExP 2. Available in both French and English, this new training introduces practical self-care tools that health care providers can incorporate into their professional practices throughout their work with trauma-exposed professionals (TExPs). Share this training opportunity with anyone who might be interested! https://lnkd.in/grxUwqeB

Our Director of Health Services, Phil Ralph, had the pleasure of addressing delegates at the Legion Dominon Convention to bring awareness to Operation Service Dog. Since our partnership began, we have paired 61 Dogs with Veterans and another 27 are currently in training. Partnerships make programs possible. The Royal Canadian Legion Phil Ralph

We're proud to announce we will be co-hosting the Alberta First Responders' Mental Health Conference alongside the great team at Trillium Health Partners. Scheduled for November 20th and 21st in Edmonton, the conference will bring together representatives from across the First Responder sector including frontline members and staff, family members, union representatives, mental health service providers, and researchers to share best practices on the important programs and services in the sector that are working to improve the psychological health and safety supports available to those who keep the province safe. Registration will open on August 27th. Space is limited so please register early: https://afrmh.ca/

Team photo before tee off of this morning from our annual Golf Classic! Thanks to all sponsors, donors and participants for your unwavering commitment to the psychological health and safety of those who keep our country and communities safe. HW Transportation Group