Veterans account for 25% of the senior U.S. population. Plus, of the 16.5 million Veterans in the country, 50% are seniors, a staggering number when you think of it. Among those senior Veterans, the vast majority served in Vietnam and the next-highest number served in Korea. Our World War II Veteran numbers are dwindling but still represented. Those who served in the Gulf War are now part of the silver tsunami as their numbers are growing.
Where are they landing?
Many of our esteemed senior Veterans transitioned into civilian life fully functional and embodying resilience and tenacity. But there are those whose scars ran much deeper and found life as a civilian challenging, most often in maintaining healthy personal and professional relationships. These challenges affected marriages and families, employment and personal wellness.
Initiative features four core programs
Hero’s Bridge is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving Veterans 65 and older. Molly Brooks, the CEO and founder of Hero’s Bridge, stood up and said, “Not one more Vet will live out their golden years in lonely hardship.” The organization’s mission is to bridge our Veterans to a better quality of life through age-specific and innovative programs. These services are available to our heroes wherever they call home, at no expense to them or their families.
The Hero’s Bridge mission is fulfilled through four core programs.
The “Battle Buddy” program pairs elderly Veterans with a dedicated younger Veteran trained to use the rapidly growing community health worker philosophy to provide direct in-home services. A thorough quality-of-life assessment is performed and a personalized frequency of visits is established. Referrals will be made to the other programs of Hero’s Bridge, VA benefits and community partners to meet needs and “bridge” the elderly Veteran to a healthier, more supported existence.
Many of the homes our heroes live in served their families well decades ago. But those homes are difficult to maintain as Veterans age. Some homes are very old and in extreme disrepair, while others require modifications, such as grab bars and wheelchair ramps, to help the aging stay in place and maintain independence. Yard work may also be too difficult a task for the heroes we serve, especially during the change of seasons. Faced with fixed incomes, our Veterans often do not have funds to make repairs. Our “Home Front” team assists with maintenance issues, cleaning, safety assessments and yard work so our heroes maintain a safe and comfortable home.
Senior Veterans deserve respect and gratitude
Unfortunately, the nearly 10 million senior Veterans were never given respect and gratitude for their service. Many of our nation’s heroes, especially those who served in Vietnam, returned home and experienced animosity and disrespect from those who opposed the war. As Veterans age, Hero’s Bridge recognizes that they often need a way to reflect on their time in service and reprocess those experiences in a healthy constructive way.
Our “Honor Guard” team provides many services, such as replacing lost medals, finding lost comrades, recording life stories, holding portrait sessions and hosting Veteran socials. We involve volunteers from the community, especially youth, wherever possible. This program places special emphasis on serving the sometimes-overlooked Veterans in nursing facilities and care homes.
Many of our heroes have lost or had to give up pets that were dear to them. Others are having difficulty caring for pets they have loved for years. Recognizing the positive impact of pets in our Veterans lives, our “Paw Patrol” team arranges home and nursing facility pet visits. They also help the Veteran care for aging pets and help find loving new homes when our Veterans makes that difficult decision.
This is honorable work serving a venerable population. These Veterans fought for us. Now, we fight for them.
For additional information on Hero’s Bridge, contact CEO and founder Molly Brooks at mbrooks@herosbridge.org. If you know an aging Veteran who needs help, call 540-341-5378 or go to this page.
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The people with whom I had the most difficulty were not the protesters but those who ignored the war and the sacrifices made by those who served.
The people with whom I had the most difficulty were not the protesters but those who ignored the war and the sacrifices made by those who served.
They expected us to just go back to work or school and not bother them.
Some even complained about our getting extra points toward Civil Service… people today don’t understand the atmosphere that we were thrust back into after leaving military service whether having served in Vietnam (which I did) or elsewhere… Now 50+ years later people welcome me home lol?
Trying to ask a question about my VA loan, but the form locks up when I try to add info
What idot put a picture of a graveyard next to the title of this article.
I am 77 years old and a Viet Nam Vet. My thoughts are that this organization has the correct message what I am not sure about is if they are spending the money they raise fulfilling that message. Online, in this article, and on their website, there are a lot of promises but no notable deliverables. They are also all over the place, dogs, buddy program, meals, a village, and I can’t imagine how they can be effective with what was a 250K budget in 2021. Seems like all promise and little production. Also, in 2021, if I read the financials correctly almost 10% of the raised income went as salary to the founder. I’d like to see a current set of financials for 2022 and quarterly for 2023. Again: The organizations message is great. My hopes are that 95% of the money raised goes to veterans services.
I am right there with you Mike
It is really a shame, that out of all the Veterans that are still alive, the one’s that were there when there was no war going on are the one’s that need the most help now. We that group that were forced to not go on Sick-Call are the same one’s that have all these seen and unseen injuries. Now after we have gotten out and find out that we should have been going on Sick-Call all the time, get Nothing because our records don’t show that we are injured. I speak for a lot of Veterans who share with me because I am a Peer Support Specialist in the VA Health Care System. Congress doesn’t want to give the Veterans that were in actual Combat anything so they sure don’t want to give the Veterans out of Combat anything. 8 and a Half years of my Life was being a Soldier and that was all I knew, Help those who only wanted to save this Wonderful Country. Thank You. SAW
Thank you for very needed Vet service. At
78 yrs. we really need it!
what upsets me the most are two things we cannot get dental work done ,I would be willing to pay for any work done by the vets admin,why give our money to some dentist who overcharges and some times does not do a good job. the next thing is i have been denied PSD benifits three times I am not giving up i am 83 years old and a dentist costs far too much for me to be able to pay for his work.
Ian Hartley:
If you belong to, or can join a Medicare Advantage plan, they will take quality care of your dental needs.
So far they have done extensive repair work on my teeth. The work has been excellent and, as a bonus, my dentist used to work at the local VA hospital. Best of luck to you.
Ian try this if you are in Orange County California: tel:714-633-4600
Lestonnac Free Clinic.
They took good care of my dental needs without charging me a penny!
They also do free inplants for veterans
Thank you for taking the time to take care of those Veterans who signed up to protect this country and were mistreated when they came back from the Vietnam War. Vietnam 1968, Air Force.
I agree with the need for senior veterans; especially Vietnam veterans. It would be wonderful if those animals could visit the dementia or community living centers. Some don’t even get to go outside it’s cruel to see them just sit and watch 24/7 tv and no exercise.
I am a WW2 Army veteran and at my age of 94 I have various needs of help and the VA does not seem to be of any assistance . I struggle daily of caring for myself and doing yard work , and because I do try and for that reason I am denied the pension or getting any help. VA is unfair to some veterans, as we all served with pride of our great country the USA Will HERO’S Bridge help me.
Thank you for your service, Young Man! I wish you all the best!
You should be able to get Aid and Attendance money each month if you need help taking care of yourself. I’m a 78- year-old woman vet who applied for and received those funds when I sorely needed help while waiting a long time for hip replacemnt surgeries. Please call your local VA and ask them about it. It was a life-saver for me.
I came home in 73 after a tour in westpac.I am not a hero just was a grunt doing my job couldnot get a job got treated like S???? . I joined on my own to this very beautiful America. 50 years later the scars run deep in my return to my beautiful America. 50 plus years later its still the same…same ole promises…the more things say they change the more they stay the same. I still fly ole glory and my service flag very very proudly every day. All I ever wanted was a little ole fashion handshake. I am a ole country boy from the south where in my time a handshake meant something . I wish and pray that someday all my brothers and sisters will be given that handshake before we meet st. peter instead of promises. To all who read this old mans ramblings WELLCOME HOME semper-fi Juan Leos usmc ret.
Thank you! Please know that many appreciate all that you have done. I proudly wear the same P O W bracelet that I put on in 1974 that I promised to wear till all come home. I will wear it until I die! I would happily shake your hand and hug your neck!
God bless you; I would hug you and tell you thank you so much for volunteering to serve. I’m a good ole country girl. My Hero Vet served with honor; so much red tape blocks many improvements in Va. My veteran is in the CLC and short staffed place; they rarely get to go outside. It’s cruel and sad. I pray that someday veterans will help run the va and still value out good ole boys and gals. So much wasted $$
I went to Vietnam on a aircraft carrier in November 1968 and returned in June 1969. We would stand on flight deck and watch the bombs and big artillery exploding, wishing we could help our brother and sisters who were on the ground and in the air. We would launch “A” attacks and hope it would help. We were pulling back into the states called us baby killers and through stuff at us. They hated us but I was proud to serve than and I stayed for 26 years, So thank you that served and I do mean it. My son served also.
This is needed. There are veterans who don’t even know that they need help. They’ve sealed themselves off and live lonely. They will talk to another Vet because there’s understanding.
Hope this program could potentially offer some help in finding a home as a 72 year old Vietnam veteran who is still kicking, thank you.
It brought me so much pleasure to know that a program like HERO’S BRIDGE exists. There shouldn’t be any lonely Seniors who served in the military and I believe that it would truly bring smiles on many of our Veteran’s faces along with such relief of someone cares.
I see no one but another privileged rich female wanting to control a lot of old men.
And by wearing the CEO title , she can now put her poor little kids as officers. This is what you are during again when you and your congressman husband sent these then
poor kids to Vietnam and your little rich brads , the draft dodgers themselves, are right now are the congress !!
Where are these fat salaries coming from ?? IS THIS HOW YOU SAY , THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE? BEN OVER AGAIN !! HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT THAN A NURSING HOME ? These poor vets are going to be up for another screwing, this time to their death ! Word to all disabled vets, sit flap on the floor with you back flat up against the
wall !
I’m interested in seeing if the services Heroe’s Bridge offers may be of use to me.
Hi I want to thank all veterans who severed rather they went to countries that have been involved in the big fight or not we do need the respect for our service is more then others would do I know my brother ran when he was called to serve I spent 20 years in and got crapped on when I got back all my belongings were stolen from my own family but it didn’t bother me its just the fact they stolen from there family that’s even lower then what we went through so hold your heads high because they done nothing to help at least we did thanks to all veterans you are all great in my book …
When I see CEO of a non profit organization for ?Veterans, the hairs on my arm stand up in self defense. I don’t trust them untilI. actually see proof of their accomplishments and the salaries of the CEO and all her staff and officers.
I think this is a great service that many vets aren’t aware of I’m 73 and navy veteran I didn’t go to war but everybody I went to helicopter school went to Vietnam except for me I guess I was lucky but I feel like I missed out especially on a lot of veterans benefits because I did not go to war directly spent my time on a helicopter base training helicopter pilots that were on their way to Vietnam I felt left out for a long time especially now with all these people say thank you for your service that never said anything like that back in the 70s and 60s I don’t know if I qualify for any of your programs but I like to find out if I do thank you for your help and listening
Sorry, but a lot of those thank you aren’t really sincere.. America should hang their collective heads in shame with the [punishment they let out on Vietnam Veterans. I was there for Tea 1968 along with a lot of others. I myself will never forgive America for the treatment they gave us on our return.
I do hope this organization is on the up and up.