Family of Wounded Veterans Treated to Getaway

Wounded Warrior Project Takes Family Members on Memorable Weekend

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Aug 28, 2015, 03:30 ET

BILLINGS, Mont., Aug. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wives of injured service members got a much needed weekend of support. The group stayed at the Big Horn Resort in Billings, Montana last weekend, as guests of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP).

When a service member is wounded, ill, or injured, it can put stress on family members. WWP understands the integral role family plays in the recovery and well-being of veterans. That is why WWP Family Support is there to provide services and programs for family members, to help them handle the stress at home.

Togetherness served as a big theme of the weekend in Montana. The women ate dinner together, learned yoga techniques, and experienced some pampering at the resort spa.

Aimee Mereness is one of the wives who enjoyed the retreat. "The highlight of this weekend was meeting other family support members and feeling like they 'get it,'" Mereness said.

Mereness says she found new "family members" on the trip. "Being able to connect with others that are going through the struggles of caring for a wounded warrior, and connecting to some who have found "the light" is amazing," Mereness said. "I have been inspired to do more for my family and our nation's wounded warriors."

The weekend getaway also gave the family members a chance to learn about the 20 other programs and services offered by WWP, free of charge. Mereness says she is seeking the aid of a peer mentor, and looking into a course in the Transition Training Academy (TTA).

"Without this weekend I would not have had the courage to seek out this support," Mereness said.

The Peer Support program helps wounded service members and family members develop one-to-one friendships with fellow warriors or family members who are further along in the recovery process. This can allow the injured veteran and family members to discuss their readjustment with someone who truly understands what they are going through.

TTA's mission is to empower today's wounded service members with the tools they need to return to life and the working world. The program helps injured veterans, their families, and caregivers achieve certification in the information technology (IT) field. This summer, TTA launched a pilot program to also teach medical billing and coding.

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project