Wells Fargo Donates $25,000 to PTSD Foundation of America


HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - Apr 9, 2014) - The PTSD Foundation of America announced today the organization is grateful to receive the generous support of Wells Fargo in its continued mission to serve our military, veterans and their families. Recently Wells Fargo visited the PTSD Foundation headquarters to deliver a check for $25,000 in support of the 2014 Veteran Reintegration Program at the PTSD Foundation of America.

Richard R. Torres, community affairs manager at Wells Fargo said, "We are pleased to be able to provide this support and wish the PTSD Foundation of America continued success. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you this year."

The Veteran's Reintegration Program at the PTSD Foundation of America includes:

Warrior Groups are fellowships for combat veterans and their families to share their experiences, testimonies of healing, compassion and hope in overcoming the invisible wounds of war. These groups meet weekly in various locations.

The Warrior Family Support Groups exist to assist family members (spouse, parent, sibling, child, caretaker, etc.) of PTSD sufferers in understanding and healing from combat related stresses. These groups meet weekly in various locations.

One-on-One Mentoring While peer and small group support opportunities encompass much of our program, they are augmented by necessary one-on-one time with trained mentors. The Foundation utilizes a faith-based, step program as the foundation of the recovery program, individual mentor sessions, the Combat Trauma Support Groups and in working with veterans and families nationwide committed to healing via multiple media avenues.

Camp Hope In 2012, the dream (building an interim housing facility for veterans with PTSD and their families) of the original leadership team of the PTSD Foundation of America came to fruition. Camp Hope, an outreach of the PTSD Foundation, broke ground and had its Grand Opening on Armed Forces Day on May 18, 2012. Camp Hope assists veterans with a myriad of issues to include job placement, transportation and peer support groups integration as they pursue the rewarding and fulfilling lives they so richly deserve. Camp Hope continues to expand its physical capacity and services offered. Veterans and their families from several states across America have lived at Camp Hope expense free while rebuilding their lives. The Greystar Corporation along with some 100+ other companies have invested countless hours and thousands of dollars as well as donated materials to bring hope to our veteran community.

The PTSD Foundation has expanded into several cities already and is in the process of training people for two additional cities, with others standing in line for training. This includes warrior groups, family support groups and peer-to-peer mentoring serving Fort Hood, the largest military base in the nation.

PTSD and our military and veteran community

  • Estimated 25%-33% of adult homelessness is made up of US military veterans
  • Recent research indicates 50% of returning troops are experiencing symptoms of PTSD
  • The VA reports 22 veterans commit suicide every day (based on 21 states reporting, not including the two states with the largest veteran population, California and Texas)
  • Since 2008, the military has lost more troops to suicide than in combat
  • 58,000 troops died during the Vietnam War, more than 150,000 Vietnam veterans have committed suicide since coming home (last updated in 2012)

Last year, Wells Fargo contributed nearly $9.3 million to more than 1,100 non-profits in Texas. Nearly 3,900 team members volunteered more than 104,000 hours in 2013 with over 4,200 local non-profits and organizations in the Lone Star State.

PTSD Foundation of America is a non-profit organization under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)

Contact Information:

Contact
David Maulsby
PTSD FOA
281-664-7948

Media Contact for Wells Fargo:
Helen Bow
281-650-2714

From Left to Right:
Gene Birdwell - PTSD Foundation of America Founder & Chairman; 
Terry Fussell - Wells Fargo Regional Manager, Investments/Fiduciary Services; Jeff Shipley - Wells Fargo Regional Managing Director; John Kvinta - Wells Fargo Sr. Fiduciary Advisory Specialist; Richard Torres - Wells Fargo Community Affairs Representative