Wounded Warrior Project's Impact

Jackie Gordon braced herself as she approached the familiar stretch of road in the Florida Keys, just past Coral Shores High School where students lined the streets in support. This was the exact spot where she fell the year before, leaving her injured and unable to complete her first Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) Soldier Ride^®.

If you’ve ever been asked to round up your purchase to the nearest dollar at a gas station or grocery store, you might wonder, does a few cents really make a difference? What you don’t always see is the collective impact of all those who said "yes" before and after you. What if your spare change was, in fact, life-changing?

More than 20 years after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, new data from the Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) Warrior Survey Wave 3 reveals that financial strain and mental health struggles remain significant for post-9/11 wounded veterans. The survey, representing more than 185,000 registered WWP warriors, highlights critical quality-of-life challenges, including a sleep crisis that fuels PTSD, suicide risk, chronic illness, and economic instability.

Ask a veteran about important dates in their military career. You might hear about the day they enlisted, their first deployment date, or their Alive Day. It’s a deeply personal milestone for many warriors. An Alive Day is the anniversary of the date a veteran almost lost their life in service.

For many military service members, overcoming challenges and finding a way forward is part of the job. But when faced with mental health challenges – such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression – stigma, fear, and uncertainty often stand in the way of getting help.