Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) will move into a new office in Los Angeles today to start 2016, providing the nonprofit veteran's service organization with its most prominent presence in the greater Los Angeles area.
The office provides WWP's growing team an opportunity to serve better the thousands of wounded veterans that call Southern California home. The US Census estimates there are more than 330,000 veterans in Los Angeles County alone.
WWP hosted at least 50 events for injured veterans and their families in the past six months in the Los Angeles area alone. These events included trips to Los Angeles Dodgers and Kings games, concerts, dinners, and a visit to a shooting range. These events help veterans realize they are not alone in their recovery from battle wounds, whether those injuries are visible or invisible.
WWP's vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation's history. To accomplish that, WWP goes where the veterans are located. The Los Angeles location will become the 22nd office to open nationwide, joining San Diego and Sacramento offices in California.
"We want to reach the most injured veterans, in the most communities possible," said Steve Nardizzi, chief executive officer at WWP. "Los Angeles provides new opportunities for us as an organization to serve tens of thousands of wounded service members who face unique challenges daily."
WWP serves more than 81,000 injured veterans nationwide, as well as more than 14,000 family members and caregivers. Through 20 uniquely structured programs and services, WWP helps wounded veterans become more engaged in their community, helps their mind and body heal, and encourages economic empowerment.
WWP recently launched Warrior Care Network® (WCN) with four academic medical centers across the country, including Operation Mend Program at University of California, Los Angeles. WCN will create individualized mental health care for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injuries (TBI). WCN represents a $100 million investment between WWP and its partner academic medical centers.
Wounded Warrior Project strives to adapt to the needs of today's generation of injured veterans. The 2015 annual WWP Alumni Survey details some of the challenges and successes of wounded service members.