>>LAUREN VERNO: POSITIVELY JAX, THE WOUNDED WARRIOR JUST RECEIVED ITS LARGEST
INDIVIDUAL DONATION EVER.
>> 15 MILLION DOLLARS GOING TO
HELP. A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
CAME FROM PHILANTHROPIST.
MACKENZIE SCOTT, THE
JACKSONVILLE BASED CHARITY
SAYS SCOTT’S DONATION WILL
SUPPORT ITS MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAMS. IT SAYS THE TOP 3
COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
THAT ITS VETERANS FACE INCLUDE
PTSD, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.
SCOTT ALSO RECENTLY DONATED
281 MILLION DOLLARS TO BOYS
AND GIRLS CLUBS AND
436 MILLION TO HABITAT FOR
HUMANITY. SO CERTAINLY ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SHE IS
MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
JOINING US THIS MORNING IS THE
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT’S CEO,
RETIRED LIEUTENANT GENERAL
MICHAEL LINNINGTON TO TALK
ABOUT THIS. GOOD MORNING TO
YOU. AND WELCOME BACK TO THE
SHOW.
>> GOOD MORNING THERE.
MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME
BACK ON. YEAH, SO I LISTEN.
THIS IS A JACKSON BASED
ORGANIZATION, BUT YOU GUYS
REALLY DO HELP VETERANS ACROSS
THE NATION. HOW MUCH DOES THIS
DONATION MEAN TO YOU GUYS?
>> WELL, I’LL JUST TELL YOU,
LAUREN, IT’S HUGE. I MEAN, WE
AS YOU SAID, WE’RE WE’RE BASED
IN JACKSONVILLE, BUT WE, YOU
KNOW, PROVIDE PROGRAMS AND
SERVICES TO WOUNDED VETERANS
AND THEIR FAMILIES ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY. THIS THIS
DONATION UNEXPECTED SO
GRATEFUL AND WE’RE SO HUMBLED
TO BE RECOGNIZED AND IT REALLY
WILL HELP US EXPAND PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES SPECIFICALLY IN
THE AREAS THAT YOU ADDRESSED
AS THOSE OF GREATEST NEED. AND
THAT’S OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND
BRAIN HEALTH PROGRAMS. THOSE
PROGRAMS THAT HELP VETERANS
THAT ARE SUFFERING THE
INVISIBLE WOUND TO BECAUSE
AGAIN, YOU MIGHT YOU SAID
INVISIBLE WOUNDS LITERALLY
TAKING THE WORDS OUT OF MY OWN
MOUTH BECAUSE FOR FOREVER
WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THE WOUNDS
FROM BATTLE, RIGHT? THE PEOPLE
THAT HAVE LOST LIMBS OF PEOPLE
THAT ARE UNABLE TO WALK OR
>> DO THE SAME THINGS THAT
THEY COULD BECAUSE OF THEIR
TIME SERVING THE MILITARY. BUT
IT’S THE INVISIBLE WOUNDS THAT
FOR A LONG TIME HAD BEEN
IGNORED, THAT NOW WE’RE
GETTING MUCH BETTER AT
TREATING.
>> YEAH, THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT I MEAN, THE STIGMA FOR
MANY VETERANS THAT, YOU KNOW,
PHYSICALLY LOOK FINE, BUT HAVE
ALL UNDERGO AN INCREDIBLY
TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES IN HAD
TO DO THINGS THAT ARE, YOU
KNOW, CLEARLY UNNATURAL AND
COME HOME AND TRY REINTEGRATE.
IT’S DIFFICULT. REMOVING THAT
STIGMA IS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR
US AND A LOT OF OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE MADE
PROGRESS IN THAT AREA. BUT
BEING THERE, TOO, LET THOSE
VETERANS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW,
IT JUST AS YOU’VE BEEN WOUNDED
PHYSICALLY, YOU SHOULD ALSO
GET HELP WITH YOU’VE BEEN
WOUNDED, YOU KNOW,
PSYCHOLOGICALLY OR OR
MENTALLY. AND THAT’S WHAT WE
DOING THAT REALLY HAS BEEN THE
FOCUS OF OUR PROGRAMS OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS ANSWERING
THE NEEDS OF VETERANS THAT
HAVE TOLD US ANNUALLY IN THE
ANNUAL WERE SURVEYED THE BEST
THE GREATEST NEED.
>>LAUREN VERNO: YEAH, I MEAN,
WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE
STATISTICS RIGHT THERE ON YOUR
SCREEN. AND THEY’RE
STAGGERING. ONE IN 4 WOUNDED
WARRIORS REPORTED SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS IN THE LAST 12
MONTHS. WHAT? I REALLY DO WANT
TO SAY IT. IF THERE’S ANYONE
AT HOME WHO MAY BE IT IS A
VETERAN OR KNOWS A VETERAN WHO
NEEDS HELP.
>>LAUREN VERNO: HOW CAN THEY
BECOME A PART OF YOUR
ORGANIZATION?
>> YEAH, LAUREN, THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THAT UP. I MEAN, THE
BEST WAY IS REGISTER AS ALUMNI
FOR THE WOUNDED WARRIOR
PROJECT. AND THEN YOU JUST THE
WHOLE WORLD WILL OPEN UP TO
YOU WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GET
CONNECTED WITH FELLOW VETERANS
LIKE YOU IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND
THEN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. NOT
ONLY THAT WE PROVIDE, BUT OUR
PARTNERS PROVIDE AND WE
CONNECT YOU WITH GOVERNMENT
RESOURCES AS WELL. OUR WEB
SITE AT WOUNDED WARRIOR
PROJECT DOT ORG IS A GREAT
PLACE TO REGISTER. YOU CAN
ALSO CALL OUR RESOURCE CENTER.
>> +1-888-997-2586, ALL SAY
THAT AGAIN, 1, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9,
7, 2, 5, 8, 6, AND WE HAVE
STAFF.
>> FULL TIME ON THE PHONE. I
THINK IT’S 9 IN THE MORNING
TILL 7 OR 8 O’CLOCK AT NIGHT.
THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, TAKE YOUR
CALL DIRECT YOU TO THE
PROGRAM, THE PA, WHAT WITH THE
MALE GET YOU REGISTERED AND
GET GET YOU STARTED. SO IF
YOU’RE A VETERAN AND YOU NEED
HELP, PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WE
PROVIDE HERE IN NORTHEAST
FLORIDA. AND IF YOU KNOW OF
THAT, RUN YOUR RELATED TO A
FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS THAT
ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR OWN
REINTEGRATION BACK IN 2
COMMUNITIES. GET THEM
CONNECTED IS WHAT WE DO. WE’RE
PROUD TO DO IT. WE DO WITH THE
SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE. CERTAINLY THE SUPPORT
HIM BECAUSE HE’S GOT THE
50 MILLION DOLLARS WILL REALLY
MAKE A BIG IMPACT US TO MEET
THE NEED OF THOSE THAT, YOU
KNOW, ARE WAITING IN LINE FOR
THE PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: THE HELP IS
OUT THERE AND PEOPLE DO CARE.
GREAT WORDS. THANK YOU.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL MICHAEL
LINNINGTON.